Chronicles
by Zafona
Summary: Breaking normalcy and interrupting time, a strange man appears in town when all things have lost logic. A whirlwind of new circumstances throws Dean, his brother, and best friend into a mess of dimension and time travel led by the man calling himself Castiel. As Dean tries to save one world after another he finds himself wanting to save the life of one man more than the rest.
1. Primary World: 10 Year Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

******Heya guys! Been a bit since my last story, school and all that y'know? School's still on but I felt like writing; meaning this story won't be updated as often as my other stories were but I always finish a story once I start it so you will always get an ending from me :) At any rate, I hope you enjoy this one (I don't like doing long chapters, this is just for the intro's sake)**

* * *

**Primary World: Part 1**

"_I know of lies by the truths I've been told, the biggest one's that we're not growing old." He sung to himself, fingers tapping the top of his bent knee slowly to a rhythm in his head. He was waiting for something. Waiting for the orders to be given, for the decision to be made. It wasn't something to be decided lightly, he needed council so he'd sought it. And now he waited._

_Eyes closed, ears open and listening for the faintest sound. It was hard to hear them sometimes._

"_You know your place, Castiel."_

_There it was, that voice that used to haunt him to the point of insanity._

"_Yes."_

"_You know what is about to happen."_

"_I do."_

"_Then go."_

_He tilted his head up to the sky to stare at the emptiness above, "Took you long enough to say so." He muttered quietly as he stood, humming a tune to himself._

* * *

_-"It's not a sin if it don't make me cry."-_

* * *

"Dean! You comin'?" Sam shouted from the main floor, still fussing a little with his suit.

"I said give me a minute!" Dean called back, barely turning his head to do so, luckily he could scream with the best of them so he was certain Sam had heard.

"I'd like to remind you that was five minutes ago." Sam muttered loud enough to annoy.

Dean would normally bicker right back but it was a sensitive time, he'd prefer to not argue that day. It was an anniversary; an important one and he wanted everything to go right. He and Sam were on their way to meet Bobby, Rufus and a few others who had been close with John and Mary several years back. He ran his fingers over the wooden frame that held the last image taken of his parents, "I hope I've made you proud."

Suit jacket on, tie adjusted, Dean walked out of his room and down the hall to the top of the stairs, spotting Sam staring up at him from the bottom. His hair was getting long, Dean noted as he scanned the younger Winchester. "Mad at me?" Dean smirked sarcastically, trotting down to meet him.

"Terribly." Sam lightly punched his shoulder as he passed, the two sharing a silent look as they headed for the door.

This was the first year they decided to do anything major, it had been ten years since John and Mary Winchester disappeared and Dean wasn't going to let it just pass by unnoticed. Every year he and Sam had gone to the cemetery where empty coffins had been buried, flowers in hand and something new to say on their tongues. Today Dean intended to have everyone in on it, to honour his parents and give them a little something back. It was the least he could do for never finding them.

Sam shifted in his seat when they'd stopped in front of the usual flower shop, ready to go in just as Dean caught his arm. The younger Winchester froze and glanced over at his brother, his face said enough that he didn't have to ask 'what do you want?' "Can you get mine too?" Dean nearly had trouble spitting out the words but Sam was unusually cooperative on that day of the year. Dean knew he could ask for just about anything and receive it without Sam's usual snarky-ness.

"Sure thing." His brother answered as he stepped out, knowing exactly what Dean chose every year without having to double check.

Dean smiled to himself and looked out the window, watching the clouds as they shifted by, wondering what his parents were doing now. Of course, he wasn't even entirely sure he believed they existed eternally but it gave him comfort to allow that little bit of faith. His fingers drummed along the steering wheel as Jason Cross' 'Drink the Water' ended, considering that maybe this was the last time he let Sam pick the station ever.

"_Now for the traffic report; there seems to be another underground cave in of some sort, the roads have sunk down a good two feet on the entire west side of town. Added to yesterday's half a foot in the north end it looks like something needs to get fixed down there-"_

Dean shut the radio off; last thing he wanted to hear about was road conditions of any kind. It was a sunny day and perfect to spend outside in celebration of life. Or at least that's what he told himself. As he glanced around the block to pass the few minutes it was taking Sam to get their flowers, he found that the streets were busier than usual. He figured it was due to what he'd just heard on the radio; those streets were probably closed off now. It didn't get in their way but it was annoying.

As he looked he noticed a man in the flock of people just off the sidewalk across the road. There wasn't anything special about him, nothing that should have drawn Dean's eye to him, but here he was, looking. The dark haired individual was motionless in the crowd; he was perched, sitting on the base of the town's commemorative statue. One foot up and resting at the same level he sat, lifting his long coat to outline the frame of his hips. Dean marveled at the design of what appeared to be combat boots, buckles and laces running halfway up his calf and leading into what looked like fairly tight pants. Dean narrowed his vision trying to see the material better though through the passing people and the distance between them it was all but impossible. He almost laughed at himself for it, too, squinting to see another man's fashion a little better. Except something was wrong, he felt strange and uncomfortable, like butterflies flocked in his stomach but put his organs out of order.

Dean's gaze shifted back toward the man's face and realized he was looking at him. Sharp eyes locked onto his and refused to look away; Dean found that he couldn't either. Something about it was unnerving and he felt his skin starting to crawl, the feeling was creeping through his veins and sending chills down his spine. He shuddered but didn't pull his gaze away, not until the door opened beside him and made him jump.

"I got 'em, let's go." Sam said nonchalantly as he hopped into the Impala, noticing that his brother looked a little spooked. "Dean? You okay?"

"Yeah," Dean ran his hand down his face, "I'm good, it's nothing." He glanced toward the statue again, expecting it to be like a horror movie and that the stranger would be right outside his window or possibly gone, vanished in the wind. But that wasn't the case; the man was still sitting there albeit no longer looking Dean's direction.

Sam furrowed his brow, peering out the window to see what Dean was looking at but not being able to see through the crowd. He wanted to ask but didn't push it any further than a soft understanding noise, if Dean wanted to keep whatever it was to himself then he'd let it go. Not that he didn't worry about it, flinching as Dean nearly floored it out of there. This wasn't exactly one of those days that sat comfortably on the shoulders.

* * *

_-"He's not the devil 'less there's fire in his eyes."-_

* * *

"Boys!" Rufus called from the picnic table, "Glad you could finally make it."

"Yeah, yeah," Dean rolled his eyes, "We're a bit late, we know." He adjusted the lilies in his arms, white ones like he always brought. He didn't care what they stood for or what the meaning of them was, his mom always had them in the house and they reminded him of her. Sam usually varied, often a fan of the meanings of flowers and their colours. This year he had white carnations, supposedly they stood for remembrance though Dean wasn't sure how. Regardless, he didn't say anything about his brother's choice, he was glad that Sam put so much thought into it.

"Doesn't matter, you're here now." Bobby smiled and approached them, hugging Dean first; the man's strong arms a welcome feeling. Dean closed his eyes briefly as he squeezed his suedo dad back, holding onto tears that wanted to wash out with the rush of emotions. The discomfort from earlier fading, whatever it had been that came over him was a distant memory, nothing worth mentioning or remembering.

"Nice to see you, Bobby." Dean sighed as they leaned back, patting one another on the shoulder in the manliest way they could. No need for those silly mushy feelings, not if they wanted to keep up their personas of 'men'.

The older man only smiled and went to give Sam the same affections and then some; he squeezed the younger Winchester and ruffled his hair. Quiet apologies were exchanged but Sam brushed it off easily as he always did. The usual 'I'm sorry' for not being able to help financially didn't mean anything. Sam and Dean both knew that everyone in the world had their own problems and paying to get other people through life wasn't possible in this day and age. The boys would much prefer Bobby keep his money, take care of himself so they could go see him in a healthy state.

Deciding not to watch the little tearful reunions between Sam and Bobby, Dean moved to greet the others present. It was nice to see Harvelle's again and it'd been a while since he'd spoken to Rufus. Not that that was a bad thing, people could usually only take so much of the guy at a time.

"How's it going?" Jo approached with an all too familiar expression on her face, that sad look partially hidden behind an attempt at a smile. It used to bug him but now not so much. He only got that look on a few days of the year and this one was the only one that was consistent. "Not like you guys to be late for something like this."

"It's exactly like us." Dean smirked and hugged her, keeping it friendly knowing that Ellen was watching. "Sam took his time in the flower shop as usual."

"Dean took his time primping as usual." Sam called over unceremoniously, ruining Dean's composure good and proper.

"You suck, Sammy."

"Right back at'cha."

"Alright girls, settle." Ellen chuckled and motioned toward the picnic table, "Come on, food's waitin'."

That was all it took to gather them, if you couldn't enjoy a meal in remembrance of a loved one then what could you enjoy? Dean stuck close to Sam's side, appreciating the presence of the others as they settled; it was nice not being alone in the graveyard for once. Their usual tradition hadn't exactly been the most comforting thing, this was a nice change.

The weather was bright, dinner was delicious and the conversation wasn't evasive. Dean was surprised to hear everyone talk about John and Mary; it sometimes felt like a weird little secret, that they weren't allowed to talk about them ever again. He smiled, the immediate uneasiness dwindling and soon dissipating altogether. It was comfortable to talk about them, tell their stories, remind each other that John and Mary were people, beautiful people who had lived and deserved to be mentioned.

"I remember dad used to tell me 'man up, Sammy.'" Sam laughed and shook his head; Dean could see the slight glisten in his brother's eyes and prayed that those weren't tears. "I think I heard it at least once a day, though I can't really blame him for it. I cried at everything, I'd probably tell me the same thing."

Ellen chuckled and nodded, "I remember that, Dean could do just about anything and you'd go runnin' to your mom like it was the end of the world."

Sam's smile remained, possibly even broadening as the memories skipped across his vision like a movie, "Yeah, like when he'd break my toys or hide in my closet and jump out at me-"

"Or eat your candy bar." Dean added with a smirk, "You particularly hated it when I took your food."

Bobby nodded, the look on his face said enough to let on his amusement though he tried his hardest to remain crotchety, "My favourites were the name calling contests," he glanced up at Dean with a smile in his eyes, "The look on your face when Sam would call you fat was priceless."

"He kept taking my food, what else was I supposed to call him?" The younger Winchester piped in, getting another punch in the shoulder for it. "But really, I think my favourite moment with my dad was when I tried to prove to him I had manned up. I did so many stupid things and nearly got myself killed- how many times?"

"I think four," Dean nodded, "You kept copying him, including trying to drive the car."

"Yeah, I think that's the one that got him." Sam cracked up but the wetness of his eyes hadn't faded at all, "I'd taken the keys from the rack, pushed a chair against the wall so I could reach them, and hopped in the car just like dad did every morning. I put the key in and actually started the car-"

Dean scoffed, "After turning the key all the way for like a minute straight, trying to ruin the poor thing."

Sam offered a 'shut up Dean' look without saying it and turned his attention back to the others, "I'm not sure what happened next exactly but I managed to get the car into reverse and it started to move backward, right into the street. I was too short to reach the pedals but I was moving, I was a man going to work like dad always did." He smiled and tried to hold back a laugh, "I look up at the house and see dad in the window and he's just got this face, like shock and horror mixed with disbelief." He paused to try and mimic it though laughter ruined his muscle control. Despite the fact that Dean got to see it more than the others he seemed to enjoy the sight more than anyone else present, he loved that smile. "I'm just waving, all smiles. He runs out in his bathrobe and throws the doors open, shoves me over and drives us back up to the house. I thought he was going to be furious with me but he wasn't. He turns the car off and just grabs me and hugs me; this is the fourth near death experience so he was a little shaken up I imagine." Sam paused and smiled down at his hands fidgeting on the table, "He squeezed me and it hurt a little, but he told me 'Sammy, you're perfect the way you are.' He never said he understood why I was doing all those things, we didn't talk about it ever, but we didn't need to."

Dean reached over and squeezed Sam's shoulder, not missing the subtle way the other's voice cracked. He didn't have anything specific or helpful to say, but everyone else was eager to continue the conversations and ease the pressure from Sam.

All in all it was a successful day, Sam wasn't the only one to share stories and though everyone was overly emotional it really was one of the best days Dean had had in months. They packed up the picnic and helped each other with re-loading their vehicles, all discomfort had vanished among them and it was the first anniversary in ten years that Dean and Sam hadn't returned home in a morbid mood.

Traffic was slow but they weren't in a hurry to get home, Dean drummed his fingers along the steering wheel humming to himself as Sam rested in the seat beside him. Everything was going well, Sam was back in school, his health had increased and Dean's mechanic work was still going strong. Nothing to complain about, nothing to worry about, things were good.

But that didn't mean he was always happy with how things were.

* * *

_-"It ain't the ghost if it don't speak in tongue."-_

* * *

"_How long will it take?" He asked angrily, "It's been days already. Did you send me to the wrong place again?"_

"_Patience, Castiel." Their reply was as gentle as ever, and vague as hell._

"_That doesn't answer my question."_

"_You will see why we've sent you early, there's something you need to see."_

"_Something I need to see? I've seen everything I need to over the span of the last few centuries. What more could there possibly be?"_

"_Your partner."_

_He fell silent as he thought over the next best thing to say. "Bullshit." He muttered._

* * *

_The next day…_

"The strangest things have happened all week and it's asked that everyone stay indoors after 10pm. That's all for the eight o'clock news, have a good night-"

Sam furrowed his brow, eyes fixed on the television in front of him as the news played out its ending sequences. Missing persons reports scattered all over the place, the town's road conditions had gotten worse, the town would rather put money into a new bar than the schools, and it looked like the locally favoured football team was losing. Sam wasn't sure what bugged him more; probably the bit about the schools but the missing people was off putting.

"Heading out," Dean's voice echoed from the doorway, his older brother's usual gimmick to make sure Sam couldn't get him to do anything before leaving the house.

But Sam was quicker, "Dean, wait." He smirked to himself when he heard the sigh from what must be an almost closed door.

"What, Sammy?"

"Be careful, 'kay?"

Normally he'd just leave with a somewhat disgruntled 'of course, Sam' but there was a tone that Sam took when he was serious. It wasn't very obvious; in fact someone had to know him for an awfully long time to be able to differentiate between his tones. Dean walked back inside and over to the living room, a curious eyebrow risen for the younger Winchester, "You watching the news again?" He figured that had to have something to do with it.

Sam made a face but glanced back at the TV, "Things seem weird lately, that's all."

Dean would have pointed out that it was only the day after their parents' death anniversary, of course things seemed weird, but that was the same reason he didn't say anything. "Don't worry so much, it'll be fine."

Sam smiled a little and nodded, he was probably just being paranoid. "Alright, have fun."

"Will do." And with that Dean left. Jacket adjusted, the leather one he knew he looked good in, jeans loose-fitting but tight in all the right places, and hair styled immaculately; Dean was ready for the bar. Why spend the entire week miserable and upset? He needed a pick-me-up and why not go to the bar with his best friend and wing-man? He saw no reason not to. He was most of the way there, passing by the flower shop as he went. Dean found himself staring into the darkened window at the gorgeous bouquets and arrangements, finding it to have something of a calming effect. As much as the other day brought his mind to a certain level of peace he couldn't quite retain it, something in him was stirring and he blamed it on this time of the year.

"Hey man," the familiar voice of his pal rung in his ears in a way that he dared admit was therapeutic. Just something about being 'with the guys' built up the usual persona a lot better than time alone with his little brother and family-friends could ever do. It gave him a sense of 'man-up' as Sam had explained the other day, something that kept him in check. He didn't need to be in touch with his feelings all the time, he didn't need the sympathetic look of the others, he needed a friend to laugh with him and punch him in the shoulder as a show of affection.

And that's where Jet came in. "Hey," Dean waved at the brunette as he approached, both men grinning in a way only guys on their way to a pub ever would.

"How was yesterday?" Jet asked as their fists connected, an action that kind of hurt but that's the way fist-bumps were supposed to work.

"It went pretty well," Dean shrugged and turned away, his attention back on the flower shop window. He didn't want to think about the reason for the picnic, about his parents, about their disappearance. So he looked at the flowers, finding his relaxation point again. But something didn't look right, something in the reflection was off putting and he didn't know why. Dean focused on the window and the reflections in it, and because he did he completely missed whatever Jet said next because he saw an image that struck his core like ice. Sitting in the same place as he'd been yesterday, the dark-haired man was watching again. Cold eyes fixed on him, burning into him as if they couldn't see anything else.

"Dude?" Jet nudged his shoulder, "You okay?"

Dean snapped his gaze away and back to his friend, "Yeah, yeah I'm good." The urge to look across the street nagged at him, but he refused to.

Jet raised an eyebrow and looked at the flower shop window, knowing full well that this was the place the Winchester brothers bought their memorial bouquets. His face scrunched a little in worry but he knew better than to voice it, there was a reason he and Dean were going out and he wasn't going to let the man down. "Come on, let's get going."

"Definitely." Dean started down the sidewalk again, they were only a few blocks away and he couldn't wait to get his throat burning.

"Didn't feel like driving tonight?" Jet asked as his steps fell in line with Dean's, hands shoved into the pockets of his sweater.

"My plan was to get wasted and driving doesn't fit in very well with that plan."

"Fair enough."

Dean smirked at his friend before daring to glance over his shoulder, back toward the commemorative statue and the stranger. Still there but no longer looking his way. Jet followed his gaze and furrowed his brow, shuddering slightly he turned away again. "That freak's been there all week."

"What?" Dean snapped his attention on Jet, the taller male nodding briskly.

"Yeah, every time I walk past here he's there, just sitting. I don't think he's a beggar, he doesn't have anything to collect money in." He shrugged, "But whatever, if he wants to sit then let him sit."

'_All week?'_ Dean's thoughts were starting to sound unnerved in his own head. But then again that was good news, wasn't it? It meant he hadn't noticed for an entire week until just the other day, that his nervous behavior was only the result of his parents' anniversary picnic. In a way, it was more comforting. "Definitely weird."

Jet nodded in agreement but left it at that. Why continue to worry about it? They had an evening of fun to get to.

The stranger looked over again, tilting his head back as he watched them walk away. He caught a grin before it consumed his face when the bowlegged one turned to look one more time. It was nice to see he was making an impression.

* * *

_-"It's not a victory until the battle's been won."-_

* * *

It didn't stop there. Over the next few days Dean found himself on the same route through town, the roads were ruined and all traffic was being redirected. This route wasn't one he normally took but seemed to be the common one since half a week again; always driving past the flower shop and the town's statue. Along with the normal scenery there was always the same man, dark clothes, dark hair, bright blue eyes, always staring. The first moment of eye contact was the worst of it but Dean couldn't help himself every time, he'd look and they'd lock for the few moments it took for the light to change colours. After he'd look away and back again the stranger was no longer watching him, like it was a game of some sort.

Every day. Same routine at that stop light, he'd look, they'd both stare, he'd look away and back again, the stranger would have turned his gaze away already and that'd be it. Dean started to wonder if the man was real but reminded himself that Jet had seen him too. So then what was his deal?

As much as Dean wanted to ask he always seemed to find an excuse to not stop and approach the stranger. He needed to get gas before work, didn't have time, he was tired, work was long, Sam had already ordered pizza, etc. And though the list was short he still had more lined up for the next times he'd ask himself to stop. He was comfortable enough with how things were playing out and this strange little routine; it didn't need to be any different.

So when it changed he felt anxious. The stranger wasn't there that morning, his spot on the statue empty aside from a pigeon or two. Dean stared for a moment and the first thought that came to mind was _'Where the fuck did he go?'_ The idea that this unnerving man was on the move and could literally be anywhere was upsetting at the very least. Dean didn't have a clue if the guy had ever left the statue, or had a home. He hadn't been close enough to the man to know what he really looked like, and while that was still a cause for alarm he knew that the stranger wouldn't know what he looked like either, so there was some comfort in that. Whatever was going on, he couldn't sit and focus on it he had work to get to.

What did it matter that the stranger was missing? It was no skin off his teeth. If this guy was out and about then good, maybe he went to get a job or something. Stop living on the statue. Dean decided not to worry about it anymore, pulling up to work in his usual parking spot. At least no one had taken it this time.

"Winchester!"

The shout startled him from his thoughts, making him jump as he climbed out of his car. "What?" He snapped, turning toward his co-worker with a bit of frustration.

"For one you're almost late, and two we have a ton of work to get through so get your butt moving."

Dean rolled his eyes but continued on toward the rest of his day, knowing that there'd be something keeping him on edge for the entirety of it. He'd told himself not to think about it but he couldn't help it. Where could that guy have gone? Did it matter? Was he important enough to remember? Dean wouldn't forget the image of the guy perched in the same position on the same spot for days on end. Did he ever move? Did he eat? Maybe he'd died while sitting there and someone cleaned up his body, maybe it was all over and done with and he'd never have to deal with it again.

But when did anything ever play out that way? Really?

The end of the day came and went and still he was working. The roads had gotten so bad out there that people wound up in the shop more often than not, in a small town that meant big business. Dean figured that if Jet weren't working alongside him he'd go insane. The guy had something about him that made the situation a little funnier, even if it was possibly the worst-case scenario. Dean watched him with a smile, his best friend's antics easing the pain of a 12-hour day at work.

"Dude," Jet dropped down next to him on the workbench and leaned back against the wall, neither willing to admit that their limbs were so heavy they couldn't stand anymore. Just taking a break. "I think it's time to go home."

Dean scoffed and leaned back as well, closing his eyes and relaxing a bit. "I think so." He ran a dirty hand down his face, wiping away the sweat of the day. "I think I've had enough." He didn't have to look over to know that Jet was nodding in agreement; the man's silence was enough.

"How's Sam?"

The question was a surprise but not unwelcomed, "He's good," a smile spread Dean's lips as he thought about it. Sam had been sick for a while; the past year had been a mess of doctor visits and stay-home in bed days. He'd gotten many treatments along the way, some made it much worse and others made it better or at least better than the result of the previous medications. Dean had nearly pulled his hair out trying to pay for the bills because he would have preferred to stay home and take care of his brother. He'd been there when it counted and that's all he could hope for at the time.

"He's back at school and everything?" Jet glanced over, not missing the expression on his friend's face.

"Yeah, he's a lot better, the University was willing to bring him back on his free-ride and everything. It was a nice change of pace." Dean sighed as he tried to relax his muscles, the pain throbbing dully. It was a good kind of ache, the kind that you knew you'd benefit from in the long run. A feeling to prove you'd done something productive during the day.

"Sounds like it's looking up for you guys." Jet grinned and stood up, about to head out when he paused and glanced back, "By the way I was asking around, and a few of the guys agreed to help me out with something."

Dean looked up curiously, his eyelids feeling like lead weights already. "With what now?"

"Well you already know it ate me alive to watch you try and take care of Sam on your own-"

"Dude, I know you had a lot of work to do on your end. You took every shift and project I asked you to take and even more that that." Dean stood and smiled at his friend, "Don't worry about it."

Jet returned the smile, this time without his usual smugness. "I know you've barely been able to pay for half of Sam's treatments and medication, so here." He stuck his arm out, an envelope in hand.

Dean stared at it and shook his head, "No, I can't take your-"

"Damn it, man! Just take it!" Jet forcefully grabbed Dean's forearm and pulled his hand over to shove the envelope into it. "This should take care of the rest of it."

"I…" Dean was speechless as his fingers curled around the gift, heart thumping erratically in his chest. "I don't know what to say."

"Thanks?" Jet offered before slapping his friend on the back, "Go on, I'll see you tomor-" He was cut off when Dean practically jumped on him in a hug and bounded out the door. "-row…. Okay then." Jet finished with a laugh, "Run, Forrest! Run!"

"Shut up!" Dean's reply was distant but still made their co-workers snort.

* * *

_-"And all God's people said amen."-_


	2. Primary World: Castiel's Beginning

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks for the follows and favourites, guys :) And a big thank you to the ones reviewing, you know by now that I love getting reviews. I don't know what it is but when I know that people are enjoying it I try to get chapters out faster (That's what happened with Ugly Duckling anyway) I appreciate that you're taking the time to read this ;) And yes, I'm tossing song quotes in there**

* * *

**Primary World: Part 2**

* * *

_-"Don't you worry, don't you worry child."-_

* * *

_The morning light warmed the room; he could feel it in his sheets as he rolled over, scrunching up into a tighter ball before stretching out and taking up as much space as possible. His arm bumped his partner in the final process of waking before opening his eyes, he felt the heat of the other shift and rock the bed gently. A rough, sleepy voice greeted him; "Morning," Followed by a sweet little kiss on his cheek._

_Castiel refused to open his eyes until he was facing his lover, a bit of effort put into moving his eyelids and coaxing them to flutter open for him. "Morning," he replied softly, sliding up the silk-like sheets and returning the kiss to his partner's lips. He liked the smooth feel of them though morning breath wasn't always that pleasant. _

_Green eyes, short brown hair, face spotted with freckles; that was the image that Castiel wanted to wake up to. He felt blessed to have met the love of his life, and to have been accepted by this blessing was even more than he thought he ever deserved. "Breakfast?" Dean asked whimsically, that beautiful smile dragging Castiel's from its slumber. _

"_Only if you help me make it." The other replied, slowly lifting himself from the bed. _

_Morning routines were simple, go out, get the glass jar of milk left for them and the newspaper, prepare breakfast and sit down together. It was quiet, peaceful, and Castiel never thought to ask for more. In fact he never did, not even when Dean proclaimed he didn't believe in God, when he renounced the town's faith and left the church. Castiel didn't care, never asked why, never demanded Dean take it back, because whatever his partner believed didn't change who he was as a person. The faith always claimed that once you die you would go to one of three places, Heaven if you believed and were a soulful man; Hell for those who believed but chose to be evil; and the Void for the ones who had no faith. _

_Castiel's heaven, his eternal paradise, would always include Dean; so if the faith was true in any way, he'd get to be with his lover no matter what. So why fight about it? Why put that kind of stress in life when he truly believed that when he died he would be happy for the rest of eternity? Instead he lived life the way he believed to be best; if the faith was true then there was nothing to worry about; if it was false he'd ruin his life with Dean by nit-picking. _

_The faith was wrong._

_That morning was supposed to be routine, get the milk and paper, make breakfast, and eat it together. It wasn't. Castiel started in the kitchen, robed in thin cloth to cover his naked form but that was all. It was late summer and the heat of the season was still upon them, he didn't need anything thicker than that. At least he hadn't thought so until a chill ran through him. Castiel wasn't particularly superstitious but he could feel something was off. _

"_Dean?" He called anxiously, peering out of the kitchen. Dean didn't normally take this long, did he? "Baby? You coming?"_

_There was no answer from the front door. _

'_It's okay.' He thought to himself as he walked over to the entrance, swallowing thickly as he tried to calm down. 'It's nothing; you're just being paranoid. What could possibly happen?'_

_He ignored that the door was left partially open, ignored the broken milk bottle and mess all around his feet because there was no way this was really happening. "Dean…" he whispered as his heart shuddered painfully, his gaze fixed on the wide eyes of his lover. Dean was hanging mid-air, horizontal so that his back was aimed toward the ground, head hung back, eyes open and vacant. Castiel shakily stepped forward; he couldn't see anything around Dean, nothing that would explain this. Maybe he was hallucinating; there was no way Dean could be floating like that._

_And Castiel wasn't wrong, Dean couldn't have been floating and he wasn't. As Castiel stepped closer he saw the air around Dean shiver like a heat wave, the images beyond it distorted hideously. He didn't know why he didn't stop or go back inside, he kept walking until he reached his partner, hand held out to touch his face._

_A low rumble snapped him back to reality, his mental lapse vanishing and shattering the fantasy that maybe things would be okay. Castiel never managed to touch his lover's face like he'd meant to, an invisible arm swung out and before he knew it the world was spinning all around him. The ground was more than happy to welcome him again, disorienting his already frazzled mind to a point of delirium for a few seconds. He thought he could see Dean's body convulsing, the wavy air forcing its way inside._

_But that couldn't be right, could it? He couldn't make sense of it all, limbs feeling weak as he pushed himself up, not caring that grass had stuck to his face and hair. "Dean?" His voice was cracking, he sounded hoarse to his own ears. "Are you okay?" Stupid question. He knew it but it was just one of those things that you asked. 'Please, God.' Castiel prayed silently, his bottom lip starting to quiver and his eyes stung hot with tears, 'Please don't let this happen to him. Please save him. Please. Please!' His pleading only repeated itself in his mind as he shuffled backward on the lawn. _

_Dean's convulsions stopped suddenly and he dropped like a stone, head cracking on their driveway on impact. Castiel froze, thinking maybe has prayer had been heard, "Dean?" He stood and started to shuffle across the yard again, stumbling as he went; he was far more shaken up than he'd realized. "Baby!?" It came out as more of a desperate cry the longer it took Dean to move, but that didn't last long. _

_Castiel reached Dean's side the same moment he started to sit up, an inhumanly strong arm snapping up to catch his throat. Castiel croaked and struggled pathetically in his lover's grip, hands grasping at flesh, flailing and beating on anything they could reach. "…De…an…" He wheezed, tears making trails down his face as his eyes fluttered closed._

"_Cas…" Dean groaned the name out like he was straining to speak, eyes gaining some kind of recognition before he dropped the dark haired man to the ground again. _

_The noises coming from Castiel as he tried to regain his breath were far from healthy, he couldn't move properly and instead of standing he wound up on his side with his hands awkwardly touching at his throat. "Dean?" He choked, hacking for a few seconds before shifting to look up at the horrified expression on his lover's pale face. "Dean, what's going on?" _

"…_Run."_

"_What?" Castiel could barely hear it; the word was so softly spoken in a shudder that he couldn't be sure he'd heard it at all._

"_I said __**RUN**__!" Dean's voice broken into multiple tones, eyes darkening and face twisting grotesquely. Castiel started scrambling backward again as his lover's body twitched and paled until there was no colour left in his skin at all. Dead eyes fixed on him then, but they weren't Dean's eyes. He wasn't in there._

"_What's going on?" Castiel repeated, trying to keep his head as hysterics threatened his senses. This thing, whatever it was, took a step, adjusted its pattern to accommodate for the body, and started walking toward the trembling man in the dirt. "Dean!" He cried helplessly, lifting his hands up in front of him in some kind of defence. _

"_Castiel, wake up."_

_A voice? Whose voice? Blue eyes squeezed shut as he prepared for the monster in his partner's skin, thinking maybe he was dreaming. Why else would someone say wake up? Maybe he'd wake up in Dean's arms, sweaty and crying about a nightmare. Maybe Dean would run a hand through his hair and hush him with a kiss and a promise._

_But he was mistaken. The beast was on him, grabbing at his neck again, pressing into the already formed bruises. "Dean…" He sobbed between gasps, "Baby please…"_

"_Castiel!" The voice boomed in his ears again and this time he felt a rush of energy in his body, as if something was inside him. "Awaken."_

_He had no idea what it was talking about, all he knew was that he'd lost control of his limbs; they were moving on their own. Even his lips were moving in a way that wasn't his; though his voice came out he wasn't actually the one speaking. Some strange language he didn't understand, these words uttered from his lips weren't his. 'What's happening? Someone help me!' His mind panicked but no matter how hard he struggled he couldn't gain control. It was all happening so fast, he could see Dean's face screaming in pain, could feel his body lighting up in a fire that wasn't really there. _

_And in a flash it was over. Dean's body, ruined and motionless, left at his feet, the presence in his own soul had vanished and now he was left cold with that voice in his head. _

* * *

_-"See, Heaven's got a plan for you."-_

* * *

Castiel opened his eyes and shook his head. It'd been a while since he'd thought that far back. Though more importantly it'd been a while since he'd fallen asleep, maybe he needed to rest more often, passing out wasn't safe.

He was about to yawn when he felt the rumble in the street, a low and nearly unnoticeable moaning following it. "It's here." Castiel rose from the statue, lifting his head and looking down the street, ears burning to hear the groan again. It sounded as if the town's base was being squeezed, the very structural support whining in opposition. He'd been sitting there, waiting days -weeks even- for this. They'd sent him in early to observe his partner; Castiel had seen many people in the span of those weeks and only one of them had come by as often and as noticeable as Dean had.

Dean. At least that's what Castiel thought his name was, what he knew it to be. They looked the same, Dean and those other man. What were they thinking? How could this man be his partner, after all this time and after everything he'd been through? Castiel didn't understand and he didn't like it. But as he'd been told numerous times, he didn't have to like it, he just had to do what was necessary.

Like killing Dean.

He shut the memories out as he moved to find the monster threatening the city. After it'd been showing its presence for weeks on end, caving in the streets and snatching people out of thin air, it was finally here. No longer drifting in and out of the Void, in and out of reality, it was here and it was going to wreak some havoc if he didn't do something.

As far as Castiel saw it, if Dean was his partner he'd show up to the fight, it would happen around him in some way. Castiel wouldn't have to find Dean and drag him along, Dean would go willingly. And so he departed alone, the Void was open and he prayed that nothing high level crawled through.

* * *

_-"Don't you worry, don't you worry now."-_


	3. Primary World: Midnight Stroll

**Author's Note:**

**I've gotten word that some people are a bit confused as to what this story's about so I'll toss a hint in here; there will be time travel and dimension jumping coming up**

**Thank you for the kind words guys XD I've been posting it on Tumblr a bit too and so far not much of a response. Then again I haven't been on that site for very long either.**

* * *

**Primary World: Part 3**

It was late; Dean and Sam had spent the night celebrating their friends and the charity given to them. Sam had fallen asleep on the couch as they watched the Indiana Jones movies marathon style, his head lolled to one side and mouth open just enough to give the sense of cuteness. Dean wasn't buying it, or at least that's what he'd say if anyone asked him. Though he would have normally picked his little brother up and carried him to his bed, Dean knew better than to attempt to lift that mammoth of a man. Not that Sam had a lot of mass to him at that time, he was just very tall and Dean knew undoubtedly that he'd whack the poor guy's melon against a wall.

Drifting in and out of sleep Dean felt like he was swimming through his subconscious at times, feeling the waves of waking fading and ebbing away as he slipped into slumber. He could see a face, blurred and out of focus until it turned to look at him. Sharp blue eyes drew his attention in, he felt like he knew this face somehow, or that maybe he was supposed to.

"_Who are you?"_

"_~~-**##..." _

"_What?"_

_The rest of the face came into focus then, he couldn't understand or hear the words but he knew that face. _

"_You're the guy from the statue-" Dean started but was shut up when his mouth was taken over by a kiss, soft lips pressing down on his in possibly the most passionate thing he'd ever experienced. Dean had been with many women but nothing even came close to this. He opened his eyes after realizing they had closed, wanting to ask about it, needing to get a name. But he stopped when he saw the look of pure terror on the other man's face. In a flash the stranger was laid out several feet away from him, eyes still fixed on his like he was about to commit a murder. Another flash and he felt a tension in his hand, Dean looked down to see himself strangling the man, those blue eyes closed and crying._

Dean flailed as he sat up, his head pounding and heart sounding like it was ready to burst out of his chest. "What the hell…" he panted, standing up and running a hand through his hair. "What the hell, what the hell…" He repeated the words as he went to put on his boots and wandered out the door to get some fresh air. He'd had weird dreams before but none so vivid and nothing about killing another person.

Sam hadn't said a word as his brother left, something told him not to ask even though any other time he would have. Dean didn't just run away like that, even after a bad dream. Normally he'd just go and get a drink or something, wouldn't he? Regardless, the situation made Sam a little uncomfortable. He sat contemplating for a few seconds before getting up and walking out the door to look, he wasn't surprised to see the Impala missing. Normally he'd just let it go but this seemed odd. Dean never acted this way and would always say something to him, even if it was just a little 'hey Sam I'll be right back' to his half-conscious self. But this time Dean just walked right out the door and drove off.

He considered just going back to bed, just lying down and closing his eyes again. But he knew himself well enough to know that it'd be impossible to sleep. Standing and staring outside he couldn't decide what to do but overall he couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling growing in him. It'd started a week before his parents' death anniversary picnic and he'd assumed it was because of exactly that, so he didn't think much of it. But it hadn't stopped after the gathering, it'd only gotten worse and now his skin felt like it was crawling. On top of that Dean was acting funny. Sam would be lying if he said he wasn't scared, his nerves were on fire and his brain seemed to jump at every little thing that moved or made a noise.

Things just felt off, like something was there, something evil. He could feel it, it felt wrong and like it meant to hurt them. He had brushed it off before because of how small and silly the whole thing seemed, but with more time passing he couldn't push the thoughts away, dark, painful thoughts. He felt better when Dean was around, there was just something about knowing that your big brother was there, the guy who'd do anything to help you and protect you. He felt safe with Dean. Without him nearby it felt like the shadows were going to crawl toward him, like he'd be dragged away.

When the phone rang he just about screamed. Shakily he picked it up and held it to his ear, thinking maybe it was Dean calling to tell him he'd be right back, just stepping out for something. "Dean?"

"No, it's Jet." The reply came in slowly as he tried to figure out what was going on. The tone in the younger Winchester's voice was off-putting and uncomfortable to say the least. He decided to go with something a little less demanding and asked carefully, "Sam, where's Dean?"

"I don't know," Sam exhaled slowly and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes to try and steady his mind. "He rushed out without saying a word."

The silence on the other end wasn't comforting but it didn't remain very long. "Did you want me to come over or look for him?"

Sam shook his head and was about to answer 'neither, it's fine' but the ground beneath his feet felt like it was starting to tremble. "Come over." His fear answered for him, forming dryness in his throat as he tried to swallow past it. "Please."

"Be right there, kiddo." Jet's presence clicked out as he hung up, leaving Sam alone again. He told himself repeatedly that it was nothing, that he was being ridiculous and over thinking things again. He continued to tell himself this as he felt the foundation rumble again, his heart racing the whole while he stumbled to the window to look outside. The sky that had been clear hours before was dark now, clouded over and there were even flashes of lightning cracking down. Normally he'd be okay with that, however this lightning seemed to be focused very close, as if it were only hitting within the town's limits.

"Dean…" He muttered anxiously, his hand coming up to rest over his heart in an attempt to slow it.

* * *

Dean had gone out to get some fresh air; he needed to drive off that horrible feeling and shake the nightmare from his head. Those hurt blue eyes staring at him haunting his retinas. That guy was gone, there was no point in thinking about him now, he thought anyway as he passed by the statue the stranger had been perched on. Dean looked over at it and shook his head again, stupid bad dreams.

He made the decision to turn back when lightning flashed, crashing into the statue with the thunderous roar one might expect to follow. Dean jumped at the suddenness, eyes large with shock as he stared at the now cracked stone. "Just… a coincidence." He murmured, his heart rate increasing drastically. "Not scary or foreboding at all. Nope." And that's what he told himself as he drove back home, at least until the ground broke open just off the street, fissuring behind his car. "Son of a _bitch_!" Dean shouted, slamming on the breaks just in time to avoid being struck by something flying across the road.

It was too dark to see it properly and much too big to be a dog or even a moose. Dean sat still, hands clenched on the steering wheel and knuckles turning a little white. His brain argued with him for a few seconds but he decided to get the hell out of there while he had the chance.

* * *

Castiel skidded to a stop before the monster that had finally shown itself in weeks. "Took you long enough." He growled, shifting his stance to advance, eyes locked with the murderous gaze of the other. He hadn't expected it to be of the class that it was; the type of creature he stood before was often called a 'demoni' and usually didn't get much stronger than D class abilities. This one had evolved and twisted in ways that only the Void could provide, it'd travelled several dimensions and times to get here; Castiel could only imagine what it was capable of. God, he hated these things.

He reached behind himself, hand slipping up the back of his coat and into the fabric itself, within a pocket dimension in the tail end of his overcoat he drew his Pernach Mace and Wheellock Pistol. A combination weapon he'd altered to fire faster and smoother than it used to, a pistol longer than his forearm with a mace attachment at the end for bludgeoning if he needed it. "C'mere ugly," Castiel's tone reverberated with anger as he stepped closer, graceful steps over the debris of buildings the demoni had crashed into.

Hellish crimson eyes blinked at him, a wide mouth pulled back in a grin to show off the sharp carnivorous teeth it owned. The stand off lasted for a few seconds, enough time for Castiel to understand the thing's movements, get a feel for its spirit and analyze its type.

"Oh son of a bitch…" he muttered, his breath held as he stared a little more wide-eyed. His arms tensed and held a little tighter to the pistol in his possession. This thing was A class, meaning it had gained the abilities of the elite demonit, much more trouble than he'd originally anticipated.

Castiel slowly breathed out as the tension grew, both shifting but not moving drastically, gaining better footing but not taking a step, getting ready to act. Lightning lit up the sky and blasted into the earth all over the town, this demoni was a bit of a drama queen it seemed, it liked giving a flashy show as it destroyed and terrorized.

Amongst all the rumbling and noise, Castiel waited too long; the beast screeched and leapt forward at a blinding speed that the slayer wasn't prepared for, his gun only swung halfway to meeting the thing's backside. The mace bounced off its tough hide and did little to no damage, meanwhile the demoni had pounced him down, flat on his back in the street. He gasped for air as it was knocked free from his lungs, struggling to kick the thing off as it clawed at him. Each swipe would have torn into a regular person like butter, but Castiel's coat was made of something much stronger and much less human. However the scratches were starting to dig into his skin and the demoni was figuring out that its current tactics weren't working.

For a second Castiel thought maybe he'd lucked out and this A class hadn't learned any abilities yet, maybe he'd misread its level. Of course, nothing ever went that smoothly, especially for him. As another crack of thunder deafened him, Castiel found himself airborne, the demoni gripping his ankle and throwing him around like a child having a tantrum. He braced himself as best he could but didn't stand a chance until he'd manage to get away. Every time he opened his mouth to chant a spell or even tried to fight back, he felt the impact of his head connecting with an unforgiving surface. He'd dropped the gun, unable to keep a grip on it as he was swung around, though he did manage to watch it skid across the sidewalk and under a nearby car.

Things were getting fuzzy at the edges of his vision, the repetition of blows was starting to blur together and when he was flying through the air for an extended amount of time he almost didn't question it. Except he felt his ankle had lost the clawed pressure that had been digging into him. It had let go.

Despite the extra force behind the last impact Castiel scrambled to his feet immediately, all the while chanting an old spell he tended to save for big fights. His hands began to glow, he felt the heat surging from his palms and up his arms, it hurt but it was necessary.

"Ad ulciscendam deiecta, ego mitto vos retro. Ego ad Deum clamant. 'Da mihi fortitudo.' Contritio mea controlare. Ego mitto vos retro."

The beast roared as it bolted toward him, eating up the ground between them faster than Castiel could finish his preparations. There were safer ways to use this spell but he didn't have enough time. Instead of finding a way to block the on coming blast wave Castiel raised his hand to the demoni's chest as it descended onto him.

* * *

Dean screeched to a stop, once again narrowly avoiding something he couldn't identify. The block ahead of him was suddenly blasted apart when a ray of light shot across, obliterating everything in its path. "Holy shit…" Dean muttered, climbing out of the car and staring uselessly. What the hell was going on around here? He couldn't help but think as he hurried toward the disaster. If there were any people left out there they'd need his help.

"Hello?" He shouted, part of him wondering why he was doing this. He was the first on the scene, obviously. Anything he'd come across would be his responsibility, wouldn't it? "Is everyone okay?" Stupid question, he knew.

Dean looked one way down the destruction path and saw nothing moving, or anything really. Glancing down the other way he could see where the ray of light must have started, and a motionless body. At least he could discern that it was a body, if there were any on the other side he couldn't tell. "Hey! Buddy!" Dean called as he ran over, noting how smooth the path was aside from a bit of fallen debris. He knelt next to the man and gently tilted his head, trying not to jostle the stranger as he suddenly recognized him. "You're that…" He murmured, not bothering to finish the sentence as he looked the guy over for anything serious.

Castiel's arms had wounds running up from his palms, the skin had burst open like there had been too much pressure from the inside. His head a red, dripping mess from being hit too hard, a sight that had Dean worrying. He'd never really been into the 'hero' business; the idea of someone else's life being in his hands was far too rattling for him to want to worry about. He could take care of Sam and his closest friends, yes, but strangers? He couldn't just waltz in and do it like others could.

Now that this guy might live or die in his presence, Dean panicked. He lost majority of his brain function and couldn't think of a single thing to do. So what was the first thing he ever did before making a major decision? Ask Sammy.

Dean lifted the surprisingly light body into his arms and carried him back to the Impala. Had to ask Sam, Sam would know what to do.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**English translation of Castiel's chant: "Was thrown down to take revenge, I will send you back. I cry out to God. 'Give me strength.' Ruin my control. I send you back. "**


	4. Primary World: High Priest Castiel

**Primary World: Part 4**

The thunder had been shaking the house and startling Sam for the last hour, it had gotten so much worse for a few minutes and then suddenly stopped. Like it hadn't been there at all, or someone upstairs said 'oops, didn't mean to turn on the lightning over there' and flipped a switch. Regardless, it was too abrupt to be natural, like the switch was turned off halfway through a clap of thunder.

But that wasn't the worst of it, after it all quieted down for a few seconds and Sam managed to calm his nerves, he let the idea that maybe it was over drift through his head. The peace didn't last long, his body shuddered and he curled in on himself, a sense of panic rushing up to his mind. Sam gripped the couch and closed his eyes, he had no idea what was going on but everything felt like it was shaking and spinning. Jet had shown up half an hour ago, stuck by him and tried to calm him down though it wasn't working as well as Sam had hoped. He did feel better with someone there but that didn't stop the world from spinning. Whatever this was that he was feeling, he didn't like it. Extreme anxiety? He hadn't felt something like that since the days he'd been ill.

"Hey, you're okay." Jet rubbed his shoulder, "Just a crazy little storm, alright? Nothing to freak out over." He kept his voice gentle, soothing for Sam to lessen the stress. The kid never did know how to keep his nerves at bay; though Jet hadn't thought it'd ever been this bad. _'Better make a note to mention this to Dean.'_ He decided with a quick little nod to himself.

Sam glanced out the window at where the lightning had been flashing; he still didn't know why it had stopped so suddenly or why a chill ran down his spine. But Jet was right; it was just a weird storm, like all the other weird happenings around town lately. "You think Dean's okay?" The thought nagged him and forced its way out of his mouth despite him wanting to keep a lid on it.

"I think he's fine, Dean's a tough guy and not as stupid as people think. He probably just waited out the lightning somewhere." Jet gave Sam's shoulder a few pats before he looked out the window, noticing a pair of headlights tearing up the driveway. "See? Speak of the devil, there he is."

"Dean." Sam pulled himself from the table and hurried to the door, he could hear Dean out there and from the sound of it he was in a hurry too. He heard the quick slam of the door, Dean's footfalls darting around the car, but not up to the front door where Sam was waiting for it to open. He furrowed his brow and impatiently opened it himself, revealing Dean lifting what he could discern as a body from the back seat of his car. "Dean!?" Sam wasn't sure if he was relieved his brother wasn't the one being hauled out in a bloody heap, or freaked out that his brother was doing exactly that with someone else. The chill from before was back, or it was just the cold night air nipping at his exposed skin. Regardless, a shiver ran down his spine and it was far from comfortable. "What the hell is going on? What did you do-"

"Wasn't me, Sam. I found him like this." Dean's tone was calm though his face betrayed every ounce of that. "I don't have a damn clue what to do with him."

"Dude." Jet was speechless, eyes glued to the pale face of the strange, the same face that creeped him out on his commute to work.

"Hospital would be one option! Why the hell did you bring him here?" Sam shouted in protest of the whole situation, all the while moving things off the couch and making a place for the stranger. Who he now took the time to notice was wrapped in a plastic tarp, "Got enough time to wrap him up at least."

"Sam!" Dean turned on his brother as soon as he'd put the man down, letting Jet take over and check his wounds, "I'm freaking out too, okay? Sarcasm isn't appreciated."

"Guys," Jet tried to interrupt as he lifted the tarp.

"Well _excuse _me!" Sam chittered right back, "I'm not the one bringing half dead people home and expecting it all to work out nicely. I think I'm entitled to a little sarcasm!"

"Guys."

"Exactly!" Dean chose to ignore Sam's usual entitlement, knowing that could open a whole other argument. "He's half dead and needs help! What was I supposed to do?!"

"GUYS!" Jet boomed over the both of them, finally getting their attention. "He's not half dead."

Both Winchesters paled a little, their gazes drifting over to the couch where they could see pale skin. "Oh god…" Sam covered his mouth slowly, eyes widening in shock. "He's… he's not…"

"Don't tell me he just died!?" Dean hadn't calmed down from his freaking out yet, voice strained and expression just as tight as before.

"No," The brunette shrugged and turned his gaze back to the couch, "I mean his wounds are just scars now."

And again, both Winchesters reacted simultaneously, leaning over the back of their sofa to peer down at their guest. Jet had lifted up the man's arm to show that the once deep gashes leading to his wrists were nothing more than red indents in the skin. "Holy shit…" Dean gaped, unable to come up with anything more intelligent to say.

"But all that blood…" Sam motioned toward the tarp that had been stained with it, as well as the stranger's own clothing. "What… how could… are there any other wounds on him?"

"His head was bleeding pretty bad." Dean reached down and carefully lifted the man's head, cringing at the faint wetness that was left over in the dark hair. "But… it's not fresh."

Jet raised an eyebrow and glanced up at the brothers with a slight smirk, "I have no idea what's going on here, but I get the feeling this guy wasn't sitting on the statue for weeks for no reason."

"Don't even go there." Dean warned with a glare.

* * *

"_Hey Cas?" A familiar voice, soft, gentle, and something he'd been starving to hear. It had a way of clearing his mind of anxieties. When he heard that voice everything would be okay._

"_Yes?" Castiel answered quietly, not wanting to strain his throat. It was sore, he had noted, all of him was sore but his throat felt exceptionally so. _

"_Would you look at me?"_

_Castiel shifted and rolled his head to the side, it felt heavy and lopsided but he ignored that, brushing it off as a side effect of exhaustion. He could feel the touch of cool grass on his cheek, a breeze sweeping over his face and slowly relaxing him. He was safe, so why did he hesitate to open his eyes? 'Don't do it.' His mind screamed against the rest of the evidence, 'Don't look. Don't look at him.' _

_He didn't listen. Heavy eyelids pulled up, at first he just saw Dean's face and it wasn't so bad, until he focused and realized what he was staring at. They were both lying on the front lawn, Dean's body destroyed. Ruined by Castiel's hand. Tears stung at the back of his eyes but he held them, no sound coming from his mouth, nothing. He remained completely still, unable to look away from his beloved's unmoving face. It had been centuries since he'd last seen his partner alive, and he'd always told himself he was over it, that he would no longer mourn Dean's passing. But despite what he'd always told himself, the tears still waited behind his eyes, the lump in his throat never grew any smaller. _

_At least he'd stopped screaming when he saw this face. Castiel's hand flinched as he lifted it up, fingers brushing over the cold skin of the man lying across from him. "I still love you." He whispered hoarsely._

It was suddenly dark. Again it felt like the world was spinning, if it had ever stopped. Castiel could feel his limbs, heavy as they were, and knew at least that he still had them. He was awake, he could tell that much. His eyelids were closed again with the real sensation of heaviness; he knew he had muscle control over them. It was a small comfort but he appreciated it nonetheless. Opening his eyes wouldn't be any fun, he was aware of that already. Getting his bearings, finding out what happened, where the demoni was-

Where was it?

He hadn't killed it.

Castiel threw himself upright, everything aching all at once, he felt like his muscles were being torn in half, that awful strain like he'd pulled every last one of them. He managed to keep a scream swallowed down, the sound turned into a muffled whine, he could deal with that. "Fuck." The first word out of his mouth since falling unconscious, "Where is it?" His voice was shaky, his body was weary, and his legs hardly listened to his brain's demands. _'What did I…'_ He had to force himself to recall the last few moments before passing out, to remember that he'd actually blasted a hole through the town, through the demoni. And most would be happy with that, except as he passed out he could see it; watched it evaporate into the air.

That's not how those damn things died. They screamed and flailed and made a huge mess, that was the normal way. Evaporating? That was just bad news. He knew what that meant far too well and it explained the nightmare he'd had but that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Castiel groaned as he pulled himself to the edge of the bed, trying to ignore the noises he was making all the way. It was embarrassing, the kinds of whimpers his body would still make. He wasn't like that anymore; he shouldn't be capable of such sounds. And yet here he was, pathetically trying to get up. _'Maybe I should rest.'_ He only thought it briefly as his feet touched the cold hardwood floor below. What kind of masochist didn't have a throw rug by their bedside? Cold feet first thing in the morning, nothing more refreshing than that.

"Dean, would you check on the stranger, please?" A voice called from somewhere in the building and Castiel found himself sitting very still, as if that would help him in not being detected.

"Dean?" He muttered, furrowing his brow now, wondering if he'd actually woken from his dream. That voice could only belong to Sam, Dean's little brother, and then obviously 'Dean' could only be his Dean, couldn't it? He had to be dreaming. Or maybe those non-corporeal bastards had thrown him into a nightmarish world where the man who looked like his beloved also sounded like him and even had the same name and family. Yep, that sounded like them. _'Fucking hate alternate realities.'_ Castiel thought dismally, lowering his head as the door swung open.

"Oh!" That voice again, as soothing as it had been in the past, it only brought agitation to his system now. "You're up."

"Dean, I presume." Castiel looked up, his expression stiff as he did his best to keep the pain from registering there. Every muscle in his body was hurting and he wasn't sure if half of them were ready to be used yet.

"Yeah," Dean's face was slightly scrunched in a mixture of confused questions he desperately needed to ask, relief to see Castiel up, and a strange anxiety that Castiel couldn't quite place. "You uh… You gave us quite a scare back there."

"Back where?" He refused to let Dean's face get to him, regardless of how perfect it was. He looked just like his lover, sounded _exactly_ like him. It was maddening and it was all Castiel could do to stop himself, stop himself from throwing a fit, from falling against the familiar body and curling against him. All he could do was bite back his words and turn his once adoring glances into a glare. This was not his Dean and so he had no reason to be friendly.

Dean made a face at the near snarl in the strangers voice but didn't address it, "In town, I don't know what you were doing but-"

"Where did it go?" Castiel's eyes widened as he leaned forward, Dean had been there. He might have seen it. "The thing I was fighting, what happened to it? Which way did it go?"

"I didn't see any-" Dean stopped when Sam poked his head inside, the younger Winchester's face lighting up at seeing Castiel upright.

"You're okay, thank god." He exclaimed, moving past his brother and closer to Castiel's side.

"Yeah, thank god…" He rolled his eyes, his right hand unconscious running over the back of his left. His fingers grazed over the remains of a scar, drawing his eyes closer. He remembered the spell he'd used, something he didn't often resort to and whenever he did he normally give it a little more time to work. It wasn't something to just launch like that, no preparation for his body at all, he was lucky it was only this bad.

Sam, in the meantime, had taken to checking the rest of him, making sure that the rest of the injuries were gone. Dean crossed his arms and frowned deeply at them, "So if you were going to check anyway why'd you send me?"

"I wasn't going to check, but I heard you talking up here. Since Jet went home I figured it could only have been to him." Sam glanced at Dean with the 'duh, don't be stupid' expression that he hated.

"What's your name, anyway?" Dean looked at their guest again, continuing his act to remain unfazed by the intense glare of those blue eyes.

"Castiel."

"Fancy, your parents were kind of nerdy, huh?"

"Religious, actually." Castiel stated matter-of-factly, bordering on insulted. "I was born on a Thursday."

"What's that got to do with it?" Dean's nose twitched upward on one side as he squinted at Castiel's already annoyed face.

"Castiel is the angel of Thursday." Sam informed him calmly.

Dean opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself from saying anything, mostly because none of it was any good and he'd rather stick to the 'don't say anything at all' part of that phrase when it came to first impressions. As much as he pretended it was nothing, he had to admire what this Castiel looked like up close. From far away he just looked like a pale face in dark clothing, creepy even. But seeing the details, those eyes that had struck his core before, Castiel was gorgeous. But Dean couldn't possibly admit that out loud.

"Cute." Was his response. It could have been taken as a reference toward Sam's usual knowledge on things, or maybe a sarcastic quip. But his tone didn't give that impression at all. In fact, he had been looking at Castiel when he said it.

Sam smirked over at his brother, that smile that meant he knew something about Dean that even he didn't know. It would have been kind of funny if not for the way Castiel reacted, the injured man pulled himself up and slammed himself against Dean. They fell back into the hallway, neither having proper balance to begin with, and landed on the floor, Castiel perched on top of Dean with a fist clenched in his shirt.

"You listen to me," he snarled low; bodies flush, their faces nearly touching, "My name is Castiel, I am not anything to you and you are not anything to me, understand?"

Dean swallowed and nodded, for some reason he wasn't angry. Normally he'd be throwing punches by now.

"Good." Castiel released him and moved to get up though his strength was still nonexistent if there at all. His arms buckled under his weight as he tried to rise up, slipping right back down and back to Dean's face. In this kind of scenario many would romanticize the outcome, that their lips connected and there was a first and possible memorable kiss that could be referred back to beautifully. But it was much more like reality where their faces cracked together and both rolled to opposite sides, hands pressed to the sore spots while they cursed under their breath and out loud in turn.

Sam ran a hand into his hair and shook his head. Whoever this Castiel was he seemed like he'd fit in rather well for the time being.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think so far, things have been rather rough around here lately and I would appreciate to hear from you. Thanks again, hope you're enjoying it so far.**


	5. Primary World: Demoni and The Void

**Author's Note:**

**Warning: there's a bit of an info dump ahead, sorry guys. Not a huge fan of this chapter but I couldn't imagine the situation going another way.**

* * *

**Primary World: Part 5**

"Why's he gotta stay in _my_ room?" Dean insisted agitatedly, face to face with Sam in the kitchen while he tried to ignore the throbbing of his bottom lip. That damn Castiel adding injury to insult. "And furthermore, who the hell does he think he is? I saved his sorry ass!"

"I know Dean," Sam muttered, "And I know you just really wanted to say 'furthermore' in that sentence. But regardless of what you want, he needs a place to stay while he gets better."

"And again, I ask why _my_ room?"

Sam stopped and turned to look at him for a moment before shrugging and going back to making breakfast, "Fine, I guess I'll just give my room-"

"No! Wait." Dean shook his head and dropped down at the table, "He'll stay in mine. I don't want you sleeping on the couch."

"Then why would you complain in the first place?"

"Because I don't want _him_ snooping through my stuff."

Sam chuckled, cracking eggs against the frying pan's edge and smoothly transitioning them to the heated surface, "What on earth could you have in there that you'd be embarrassed for him to find?"

"Not embarrassed, Sammy, angry for him to touch." Dean corrected grumpily, glancing up from where he was resting his face in his palms. "What do you think he does? I mean did you see his clothes? Weird lookin'."

"That's rude, Dean." Sam pointed out as he seasoned their food, "But I dunno, I honestly don't even know what kind of fabric it is. I mean I'm not normally good at that kind of thing to begin with but it didn't feel like anything I've touched before." He paused from where he was about to start slicing up oranges, garnishes for their breakfast, "And when he was letting me check his wounds I saw he had a tattoo on his back… Though I don't know if it was a tattoo so much as a carving."

"What did it say?" Dean wished he could deny the interest that arched in his tone but there was no hiding it now.

"Well-" Sam started but paused when he saw the disheveled haired guest coming around the doorway and into the kitchen-dining room. "Hello Castiel, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, thank you." Castiel gave Sam a somewhat warmer look than he bothered to give Dean; cold eyes shifted Dean's way with a glint that said enough to piss him off. "If you wish to know so badly, it's the mark of a High Priest."

Neither Winchester had much to say to that, exchanging a glance to see what the other was thinking. "So, wait," Dean looked Castiel over again, "You're saying you're a high priest? Like crazy catholic kind of-"

"No." Castiel slowly lowered himself down into a chair and leaned back to rest, hating that his limbs were so stiff. The healing process was never a painless thing. "Where I come from it's called 'The Faith.'"

And he just left it at that, not really the ideal answer for someone like Sam though. "Where do you come from?" He had to pick his questions carefully; Castiel was the temperamental type and judging by the way he just sat and thought about the answer, Sam had chosen wisely.

"No where you would know."

"Try me." Sam was no slouch when it came to studies and though geography wasn't his strongest he doubted there was something so unknown that he wouldn't be able to find it on a map.

Castiel looked tired as he rubbed his face, attempting to find an answer that might suit these two. At the same time he wasn't in the mood for making things up, or explaining, or talking in general. Of course, being the strangest thing that had happened to these two brothers, silence wasn't really an option for him, and he knew it. "One of the mainline worlds. It's known as 'In Somniantes', which means 'The Dreaming' or 'The Dreamers'." He looked at them and as their expressions remained in that 'what the hell is he talking about' zone, he grew increasingly frustrated. He hated explaining this.

Absolutely hated it. He was tired, in pain, hungry, why did he have to do this? Hell, ninety percent of the time he avoided the other worlds' inhabitants to get away from explaining this every single time. Of course, he couldn't escape with it this time. "Alright, I've been in this kind of situation an innumerable amount of times, not specifically this one, but one where I have to explain this. So listen up, I'm only doing it once." Sharp eyes snapped between the two of them like he'd had enough of their crap, even though they hadn't really given him any. "There are other worlds out there, just like there's a known timeline there's also something like a set of roads. Like I'd mentioned, the world I'm from is on the mainline, as is this one. The mainline isn't always visible and it isn't always the same, it alternates with the flow of time so it's difficult to tell which worlds are on it. But anything that is connected to the mainline is important."

Dean would have interrupted to point out how crazy it was, but Sam's astounded expression had him shutting up faster than he thought possible. "Are you serious? You can jump between worlds?"

"I can, yes." Castiel nodded, his body language shifting from entirely pissed off to just grumpy; he wasn't used to someone believing him right away. "My coat is actually a link between this realm and a space where I keep my things. It's something all high priests of the faith are given when they're sent out on mission."

"What's your mission?" Sam might've disguised his intrigue if he'd known it was so obvious, Dean had to smile at the wonderment.

"Impossible…" Castiel looked away toward the floor, bitterness melting into shame and remorse. "I've long been charged with taking out the creatures of the Void; it's a space that exists outside of the roads between the worlds. It's vast and full of monsters you've never heard of, they used to be very few in number but it keeps growing."

"Why?" Dean was surprised at his own question; he didn't really believe this crap, did he?

"The worlds have grown further and further apart, the connections are weak, and the Void is getting bigger every day. There's more room for them to spread, and the ones that have been there longest have found ways into the worlds. I've been sent out to kill the ones that get in and find a way to strengthen the connections." Castiel leaned back as Sam set out their breakfast, a grateful smile given to the younger Winchester. "But lately I've run into nothing but dead ends. There have been the same worlds on the mainline repeatedly but I'm not able to get access alone, it's been frustrating. This world wasn't connected to the mainline until recently; something big had to happen here… I just didn't think it'd be a demoni like that."

"A demo-what?" Dean raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, I feel like we're getting an info dump here, I can't remember half of this."

"And you don't need to." Castiel snapped, "Simply put, it's the void monster I was fighting the other night. Normally cannon fodder but it was a much higher level."

"At least you killed it, right?" Sam asked, trying to be polite in a way to make up for his brother.

"No." The priest all but snarled into his eggs, "It got away. It's badly injured but it got away."

Dean snorted antagonistically, "Then chase after it."

Castiel slammed a fist down on the table, harder than either Winchester thought he was capable of, "I _can't_. That demoni evaporated. Vanished. Poof. It's incorporeal, pretty much fucking _air._" His ranting tone elevated and it got to the point he was hardly talking to the boys and more just venting his frustration. "All elite demoni have some kind of ability and wouldn't luck have it I found another possessor! When they're recovering or hiding they hide _inside people_. They possess a body and _take over it_. Do you understand? Someone in this town is a _monster_. When it wakes again it'll go insane because it will get a sudden memory rush after connecting with the human's brain! People are going to die, Dean! The closest loved ones to the possessed will be the first targets! They're going to fucking die and it's **all my fault**!" Castiel shouted, his face twisted in anger as he pushed himself to his feet, hands firmly planted on the table and nearly pressing an indent into it.

Sam moved to his side and tried to help him relax, luckily for Castiel too because his strength fled from him as fast as he'd summoned it. "Calm down, there has to be something you can do." Sam looked at him reassuringly though his confidence faded the longer he analyzed the priest's face.

"There is something I can… Once the possessor demoni has nested inside someone it's strength is divided into or multiplied by its host. If the host is stronger than the monster, its power will grow. It's the same rule if the host is weaker, and around here I imagine that the population is made up of regular humans."

"So good news, it's easy to take out now, right?" Dean gave his best optimistic smile, mostly to try and help Sam out a little bit on this one.

"Yes," Castiel nodded, "But we won't be able to locate it until it wakes again."

Dean nodded, "Well then we'll keep an eye out, does it have any tells? Like the possessed person does something weird or what?"

"The closer it gets to waking the more aggressive the host will become. They'll be odd before that but it's hard to tell unless you know them personally. I won't be able to see it." Castiel shakily tried to pick up his fork again, frowning at the way his hands trembled now.

"Sweet!" Dean and Sam smirked at one another and clapped hands in a high five. They weren't sure what they were a part of but it felt kind of important. And a tad crazy.

"But the host won't survive."

Dean froze mid celebration with Sam and cranked his gaze back to Castiel, "Say what? Why?"

"The host doesn't survive because I'm only capable of killing them." His eyes were unwavering, that cold chill Dean had gotten earlier making so much more sense. This guy was a murderer, possibly completely insane and using this 'void' madness to explain why he had to murder a possessed person every now and then.

And then again there was no sign of a liar in anything Castiel had done so far. He'd been up front with them, straightforward and blunt. He hadn't lied yet, why would he now? And Dean had even seen the figure of the monster that Castiel was talking about, could he really just ignore that? The logic part of his brain was saying yes but everything else wanted to trust him. So he decided that he would, praying that it wasn't his downstairs brain making the calls. _'Not gay.'_ Dean told himself.

"So you understand then?" Castiel broke the silence that had fallen over the room, "I was sent here to take care of this thing and I will," he looked down at the food he'd partially eaten for a moment, "I appreciate the help, I don't want to drag the two of you into this mess." _'I can't see you get hurt again.'_ He pushed the thought down, though it was stubborn.

Dean almost whole-heartedly agreed, he'd rather keep crazy shit like this out of their lives. They were doing well now, finally things had gotten brighter; Sam was well again, the hospital debt was paid off, Sam was in school, Dean was climbing the mechanic ladder. It was all finally looking their way; he didn't want to mess it up. After a year of fearing how sick Sam was, how much worse he was getting on and off like a wave, Dean didn't want to do anything strenuous. Things were good now, but he didn't speak up fast enough to agree.

"Bullshit," Sam interjected first, "I'm sorry, Cas, but we're kind of in this now."

"We're what?" Dean made a face at his brother who only nodded firmly to emphasize it.

"Hell yeah we are. Dean, you brought him here worried for his safety. You can't tell me that hearing he'll be going out there alone to fight a monster is okay with you, can you? Cas needs our help and now that I know this is going on I can't just sit on my hands and pretend it isn't there."

'_Damn it Sam.'_ Dean rolled his eyes and slid a hand down his face, "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Fine," He turned toward Castiel this time, noting the somewhat surprised look on his face, "Cas, I can't promise we'll help you kill this thing but at least let us help you a little. Stay here to recuperate and wait for this thing, alright?"

The priest was silent for a long moment, contemplating, hesitating, and finally replying. "Thank you, I hope it isn't in someone you know, for your sakes."

"You don't know Winchester luck." Sam laughed.

"Yeah," Dean chuckled, "based on that logic, we might as well assume it's in me."

Castiel's face darkened, "I suppose you have a point, Winchester luck is known throughout the universe as terrible."

"Are you serious?" The brothers spoke in unison that actually managed to bring a small smile to Castiel's face.

"I wish I were joking."

* * *

**Author's Note 2: A tad spoilery**

**Just a quick thanks to my readers :D I appreciate you guys, hope to hear more from you. I'm not sure how many of you have read my other SPN stories but they will become somewhat relevant to this one (other worlds and all that fun stuff ;) So if you liked Angel Training, Pleasure My Angel, Ugly Duckling, and so on, stay tuned because those character variations are going to make some cameos.**


	6. Primary World: The Host

**Primary World: Part 6**

* * *

"_I'm looking back again, tracing back the threads."_

* * *

Sam looked up at the clock, watching the seconds hand tick, slowly flicking its way around in an endless circle. What a useless little thing, it seemed, to count the seconds that made up a moment in his life. And when laying down the events that would tell his story, what would those seconds matter? Would he ever tell anyone about them? Probably not. Who says 'And I watched the clock for a few minutes' as a stepping-stone in their life's story? It didn't make sense and it didn't matter.

In fact he didn't know why he was contemplating this, all he really knew was that it was three in the morning and he was awake again. This was the third night in a row he couldn't shut his brain up. Other worlds, timelines, fate of the universe? It sounded so crazy and yet Castiel believed it with every fibre of his being, he was a man dedicated to 'the faith', whatever that was. A high priest of sorts that fought monsters and saved people and knew things that he'd never dreamed of; and here he was, sleeping in their house. Dean was still on the couch; Sam was wondering if it was a waste now considering Dean was probably actually sleeping while Sam couldn't get himself to that state.

Castiel had been with them now for three days, almost four. He'd been fairly hermit-esque in his behaviours, shutting himself away in Dean's room, avoiding them at any cost. He looked at them differently, like he knew them in some way. Really, the way he spoke to them wasn't how Sam would expect a stranger to act. Most people were somewhat polite and trying to earn their keep for the first little bit until the welcome was worn out. Castiel jumped over those little hurdles and went straight for the unwanted guest that has possibly overstayed his welcome and is on the verge of being kicked out. He wasn't particularly rude to Sam; he made a point of avoiding eye contact and trying to evade him in general. But Dean? Castiel, and Sam would swear his life on this, hated Dean with some sort of passion. It was crazy.

And due to the priest's behaviour Sam just had so many questions. Castiel was cynical; what had he seen that made him this way? After being to so many different worlds and times, why was he bitter like that? Wasn't there some beauty out there? A magic that someone like himself could never know? And why did Castiel act like he knew them? Hell, how did he _already_ know them? The stranger could nearly finish Dean's sentences for him, though never out loud. Dean would be pissed off about not being able to find something and somehow Castiel would either know instinctively, based on their personalities, where one of the Winchesters would put the item; or he knew what Dean was looking for without Dean ever having to say it out loud. Just that evening, in fact, Dean had been snooping through the cupboards for something, grumping to himself incoherently and never asking for help. Castiel had been watching from the dining table, slowly finishing his meal. He'd stood up, went to the bottom cupboards and handed Dean a bag of chips.

It had been astounding to Sam, but what really got him was the fact that they had about five different flavours down there and Castiel chose the exact one that had been hunting for. It was coincidence, it had to be. No one could know someone else that well. Unless Castiel could read minds, which was another question that Sam considered asking.

One of the biggest problems he had with all of this was the fact that these stupid questions only really came to him at this hour, waking him up and making him remain awake until the thoughts were done circulating. Sam considered buying sleeping aids but he wasn't one to enjoy pill dependency. Vitamins he'd take, sure, but he wasn't even that big a fan of Tylenol.

Sam stared at the ceiling now, listening to the sounds of the house. He was always surprised at how thin the walls were; if he tried hard enough he could hear just about anything in the dead of night. He closed his eyes, letting the wind outside distract him, the sound of technology running within the house somehow comforting, and he swore he could almost hear Dean snoring in the living room.

"Sam,"

The rough voice startled him, eyes snapping up to see Castiel peering at him from the doorway. "Cas? What're you doing up?"

Castiel remained nearly motionless, his head tilting slightly to the side the only movement that Sam could register.

"Cas?"

No answer from the priest. It was worrisome; in fact it was giving Sam a bad feeling.

"Castiel, maybe you should-" He froze when the stranger lifted his hand, a faint glow starting the middle of his palm. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"It's you." Castiel spoke emotionlessly, like a dead man, cold without feeling. "You're the monster now."

"I'm not." Sam shook his head, his heart starting to beat out of time and rhythm, "Please, wait Castiel!" Tears rushed to his eyes as he realized that Castiel wasn't going to stop, "No!" Sam threw his hands up in front of himself as the light from Castiel grew stronger, warmer, he could feel its presence in the room.

"_Dean! DEAN!"_

"SAMMY!" Dean's voice sounded like thunder, like it'd crashed into the room. Sam could feel strong hands on him, a solid arm braced beneath his shoulder blades and hauling him up. Up until his face connected with the soft cotton of Dean's undershirt. It wasn't until that moment that he realized he'd been dreaming, his mind completely shaken and his body following suit. Trembling hands fumbled to catch a firm hold of his brother somehow, but Dean seemed to have it under control. He squeezed Sam tightly, a strong reminder that he was safe, that Dean was there now.

Sam breathed heavily against his brother's chest, calming himself, or trying to. He shakily inhaled one more time before lifting his head, Dean was right there to smile down at him.

"You okay, Sammy?"

'Yes' was the first answer that came to his tongue, but he swallowed it. "Just… over thinking things, I guess." He laughed softly and lowered his head again, closing his eyes and listening to the slowly decelerating sound of Dean's heart. _'I must have scared him…'_ Sam thought despairingly.

Dean ran his hand down through Sam's hair a few times, wondering if he should read into the fact that his stubborn little brother actually went back to lie against him again. But he decided not to, Sam didn't need him poking and prodding at this. It was just a nightmare, Dean told himself this and Sam as well. "Just a bad dream, doesn't mean anything, okay?"

Sam nodded, appreciating the soothing tone of Dean's voice. It was nice and comforting, and for just a little while Sam felt like he was a kid again. His big brother was right there for him, like always. "Thanks, Dean."

"No problem, Sam." Dean smiled and stroked his hair a few more times before slowly letting Sam lay back down, "Get some sleep, alright?"

Another nod and a yawn to follow, Sam curled up and rolled over, nuzzling into his pillow like he liked to do. Dean scoffed quietly and strolled out of the room, back to his couch. He couldn't wait until Castiel would be on his merry way and finally get his damn bedroom back.

* * *

"_You said I was a mess, or was that just in my head?"_

* * *

"Dean, could you get some groceries?" Sam walked into the living room where Dean was casually lounging and watching TV, Castiel perched on the other side of the room by the window, staring out of it and watching the neighborhood. And while Sam was sure that Cas was just checking for signs of the monster, it still looked like a creepy hermit-man kind of behaviour. It'd been over a week now, he was healed up and wearing Sam's clothes because he only had one set while his jacket stitched itself.

Yes. It stitched itself apparently. Sam didn't believe it until he saw the thing slowly fusing itself back together, one stitch at a time. It was mind-boggling and the most proof that he had so far that Castiel was telling the truth. Regardless, Cas had a runner's body type, meaning he was fit but lithe, slender even. Sam wasn't terribly built either but was very tall and had broad shoulders. It honestly didn't make sense that Cas would wear his clothes and not Dean's, Dean was more his height and while Dean was more muscular, it'd still fit him better than drowning in what Sam had to offer. But Castiel refused, absolutely refused to wear Dean's clothing.

"You got a list?" Dean looked up, normally he'd fight this tooth and nail, but considering a few nights ago Sam had a serious night terror that left him shaken for the entire following day, he decided to not argue.

"Yeah, and uh…" Sam smiled sheepishly as he handed it over, "Take Cas with you."

Dean made a face, and looked over at Castiel who turned his head to reciprocate the glance. Cas held it for a long moment and shrugged, the collar of his shirt almost slipping over his shoulder as he got up from the windowpane.

It was kind of funny for Sam, neither of them uttered a single sound of protest, sure they each made their disgruntled lack of amusement known with facial expressions, but they didn't say it. Sam didn't know why they did this with him, well he knew why Dean didn't argue but Cas he hadn't a clue. Again, it was the sense that Castiel knew him somehow. Sam felt that weird little 'older brother' vibe coming from the priest, like Cas would protect him if need be.

At least he did in the last few days, that is. Once Cas became aware of Sam's nightmare, when he noticed how twitchy and a little frightened Sam was of him, Castiel had done little gestures of peace and kept an eye on his own behaviour. If Sam were worried, Cas would do everything he could not to be intimidating or scary in any way. Sam was a bit conscious of the fact that he was being treated like a traumatized five year old, but it kept the other two from fighting so he didn't object very much.

"Let's go, Cas." Dean grumbled as he folded Sam's list and put it in his pocket, ignoring Castiel somewhat as he walked out. Wearing clothes that were too big on him, shirt slipping off his shoulders. Dean was frustrated, he wouldn't admit it out loud but he was frustrated. This mysterious as fuck man shows up in town and sits on a statue, staring at him every day, makes eye contact every day, and all but gives Dean nightmares himself. Dean found that he couldn't go a single day without thinking about the guy, wondering at first if he was a murderer and slowly wondering if maybe he was just a homeless man, or if he was even there at all. Then he freaking disappears! Just like that, never got the chance to say hello, never managed to ask the man's name, nothing. Just poof, gone. Give that about 24 hours and suddenly the stranger is sleeping in his bed, eating his food, and refusing to wear his clothes or even give him a decent conversation. To top it all off, Dean _still_ couldn't stop thinking about him. Castiel, angel of Thursday, but not a real angel, he just looked like one.

And Dean would kick himself for thinking that too but he couldn't help it, getting into the car he couldn't help but look over to watch the way Castiel leaned in and shift his body into the seat. While he started the engine Dean couldn't help but glance to see if Cas enjoyed the roar of the engine the way he did. And as the Impala started up and Castiel didn't think Dean could see him, Dean couldn't fucking help but notice the nostalgic pain that flittered across the other man's face. Who the hell was this guy and what was his deal?

"Alright," Dean started calmly, backing off the drive way and heading down the street to the nearest grocery store, "What's up with you?"

Castiel looked back at him, Dean forced himself not to look into those baby blue eyes, "You'll have to be more specific, Dean."

"Why do you hate me?" Dean was using his 'just give me an answer damn it' voice, it was usually just used on Sam when the twerp wouldn't tell him something he already knew.

Cas remained quiet for an extended amount of time before he looked out the window and Dean thought for sure the bastard was in the middle of ignoring him when he answered, "I don't hate you."

"Oh, you don't?" He could hear the sarcasm in his own voice but didn't stop it. "Then what the hell? You've been nothing but rude to me, you glare at me when I see you, you blatantly refuse to do certain things when I'm involved but if Sam asks you're cool with it. I get that part a little bit, the kid's got puppy eyes, but the way you do it is always a way to prove somehow that you want nothing to do with me. I don't care if you _do_ hate me, I just want to know why."

Castiel held his pattern of silence first, looking out the window as his hands fidgeted on the hem of his shirt. Dean hadn't seen him fidget before, this was new, he was getting somewhere. "I said I don't hate you. And while there is a story behind my behaviour I don't wish to share it."

Dean was about to make a fuss when Cas turned toward him again, and he fell right into those eyes. "Did I do anything?"

"No, you didn't." Castiel sighed and leaned his head back, "You're right, Dean. I'm sorry, this has been unfair to you."

"Damn right it has."

"Let me…" Cas bit the inside of his cheek momentarily, watching the way Dean parked so seamlessly; he'd always been good with cars. "Let me start over." He turned Dean's way and extended his hand, "Castiel, it's nice to meet you."

"Dean Winchester," Dean smiled and took the priest's hand firmly. "Mind if I ask you something?"

"Go right ahead."

"What's your last name? Do priests not get one?" The curious look in those green eyes caught Castiel off guard but the question was weighted enough to nearly knock him out of his seat.

"We keep the ones we had in our previous lives." He answered matter-of-factly, wanting to keep emotion out of it.

"So… you guys are reincarnated?"

"No, the normal lives we held before we became High Priests of the faith."

Dean nodded, not missing the fact that Cas was fighting him over this, but if it was a new start he wanted to know the guy's full name. "And yours was what? Does it have some meaning like your first name? Is it Thursday? That'd be kinda funny."

Castiel opened the door of the Impala and climbed out, "Winchester." He said softly before closing the door and walking toward the supermarket.

Dean sat motionless for a moment before shutting the car off and locking the doors, "Wait, Winchester? Really?"

"Yes." Castiel's pace was brisk and Dean found himself watching the shift of Cas' hips as he moved. "And I'd like you to drop it, please."

"Just one question, one more." Dean clapped his hands together in a sort of pleading gesture once he caught up to Cas, walking slightly ahead so the priest could see him. "Please?"

Castiel rolled his eyes but knew he couldn't really say no. "What is it?"

"Does that mean we're related?"

"In a way, I suppose… No." Castiel shook his head and pushed past Dean again, getting him out of his face. "You… are a different man. If you want to assume we're related then I'll go right back to treating you as I was."

Dean didn't need more of an explanation than that to get the hint, but he pushed anyway. No one said Winchesters were always smart. "So wait, you kind of know us, right? Was there another version of Sam and me in your world?" His eyes widened, connecting the dots, "Is that why you're so nice to Sam all the time and not me? Were you and Sam, you know… married or something?"

Castiel grabbed Dean's collar and slammed him into the nearest light post, lifting him from the ground as if it were simple. "I said _drop it_." He snarled as he did exactly that, dropping Dean back to the pavement and continuing on his way.

Dean rubbed his neck a little and exhaled slowly, he deserved that, and he knew it. As well, he couldn't shake the tingling feeling that was starting to spread through his body. "Cas," he called, he still hadn't moved.

The priest turned his head, jaw tightly clenched, eyes daring Dean to say something stupid. And while Dean really wanted to tell him how absurdly hot that was, he went with something else that he should have already said.

"I'm sorry."

"Forgiven. Now let's get the groceries and get out of here." Cas turned and continued, this time with Dean in tow.

* * *

"_So help me decide, help me to make up… Make up my mind."_

* * *

Shopping was all but done; Castiel was surprisingly efficient at it despite not knowing the store very well. As Dean watched Cas wandering down an aisle for the last item on their list he felt a sort of adoration for him. The little way he lips moved as he silently muttered the item's name to himself so he wouldn't forget, how he stopped in front of the lane to look up at the types of groceries he'd find there, shake his head and move on. Or when he did go down the aisle and quickly return with the supplies in hand, clutched close to his body so none of the other Saturday shoppers could snatch it away from him, just in case people fought over their food in this world or something.

Yes, Castiel was a little rough around the edges and definitely bitter over something that had happened, but Dean saw something cute in there. Beneath the scowls and threats there was a bright-eyed guy looking for approval like the rest of them.

The sound of his phone ringing snapped him away from his musings; Dean fished in his pocket for it and quickly answered. "Hello?"

"_Hey man, it's Jet."_

"Dude, what's up?" Dean would have sounded a little friendlier but Jet's tone was off-putting.

"_Not much, but hey, where are you? I went to your place to visit and Sam's here by himself and uh… Well it's hard to explain."_

"Sam? Is he okay? What happened?" The demanding tone was immediate, worry filling him as he suddenly became agitated at how long the lines were to pay for his groceries.

"_Well he's pretty upset and he's not telling me what happened. The place is trashed, man. It looks like someone busted in and just went ape shit around here."_

"Is Sam hurt?" Dean spat the words like they were the only things he cared about, demanding an answer without shouting 'answer me' at the end.

"_Not much, his hands are pretty banged up though."_

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Could you watch him, please?" Dean anxiously looked around to see if any lines were moving faster or if someone had fewer items in their cart. As he looked he noticed Castiel waving him over from further along and hurried to the man's side.

"_Can do, man. He wants to see you and said to ask Cas to stay outside for a bit when you get home. He's scared of something, I don't get it but I'm just giving you the message."_

"Thanks so much, man. I'll be there soon." Dean hung up and ran a hand through his hair, "Crap…"

Castiel tilted his head curiously, eyes squinting just enough to add to the confusion in his face. "What happened?"

"Something's up at home, Sam wants to see me." He sighed and looked at Cas, unable to hide the concern.

And though no one said anything outright, Dean was terrified. Why did all of these things always have to happen to Sam?

"We should hurry back to him." Cas eyed the line suspiciously, trying to figure out a way to make this go faster. He came up with nothing and they reached the till in normal time, this didn't stop Castiel from making that face though; the 'I'll figure a way out of this' kind of expression. Dean would have laughed if not for being so caught up in what Jet had said.

They made it home in record time and as Dean leapt out of the car he pointed back to Cas and said as firmly as he could, "You stay here."

Castiel, shockingly to Dean, listened obediently and remained by the Impala. His better judgment told him to follow, hell, everything told him to follow. But that stupid little incessant voice in his head reminded him to stay. Dean asked him to stay. _'But he's not the same Dean, he's a completely different man. I don't have to listen.'_ But he knew better, he knew his mind had long made the connection and would refuse to let it go for anything.

Dean ran inside, closing the door behind him just in case Cas was curious. "Sam?" He called as he quickly hurried to the living room, finding Jet standing in the middle of it looking around at the destruction. Sam was sitting on the couch that was now lopsided, his hands hidden under his arms as he hugged himself. Dean dropped down beside him and turned his brother's head to look at his face. "Sam, you okay?"

"Dean… I think…" Sam stammered, his face was pale and his eyes were wide, "I think I'm-"

"Don't." Dean said firmly, "It wasn't you Sam."

"But it was." Sam insisted, the fear in his eyes growing, "I did it. I remember doing it."

Jet glanced over at Dean worriedly; he'd been with them for years and stuck by Dean as much as he could during Sam's sickness. Hearing this wasn't comforting for any of them.

"Sam-" Dean tried to say something, anything helpful but Sam shook his head.

"No, Dean. It's… It's me. Everything that Cas said… It's in me."

Dean looked back and forth between Sam's eyes, his stomach turning and knotting.

* * *

"_Wouldn't that save you?"_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**So yeah, chapter 6! Obviously. Thanks for reading guys :) I appreciate the support and really hope for some more feedback. If you have questions, ask away I'll try to answer them. If you just want to say 'nice' go for it. I love all comments :D **

**There was some confusion about Dean and I hope I cleared it up a bit. This Dean is not the same as Castiel's Dean, he is not reincarnated, he's a different guy from a different reality. Okay? Okay. Cool. See you all next chapter XD**


	7. Primary World: Sammy, I'm Gonna Fix You

"_Hey! Cas! Wait up for a second, would you?"_

_Castiel stopped, his ears burning for his name as he turned around. "Sam? Sam what are you doing out here?" He was instantly concerned, nearly dropping the food he'd been carrying home to begin with. "If Dean sees you-"_

"_I know." Sam smiled weakly, his thin limbs looking like they could barely hold him up let alone carry him all this way. "I just needed to see you."_

"_You should be at home, you're sick." Cas reached over with his free hand and touched the young man's clammy forehead. Sam swiped it away and shook his head. _

"_No, I mean I'll go back in a second. Can you just let me tell you something?" He was worked up and before Cas had the chance to calm him down he started coughing. Sam's body shook from the force of it; he ended up falling into Castiel's arms after the other man frantically dropped the woven bag of ingredients. _

"_Sam!" Cas held his ground, supporting his boyfriend's little brother until Sam managed to get back on his feet. "I told you-"_

"_I know," Sam wheezed and smiled a little, "Just hear me out. I know you and Dean were fighting-"_

"_You weren't supposed to hear that…" Cas muttered sadly._

"_Dean loves you." Sam insisted, "He loves you and he needs you, Cas."_

_Cas curled his bottom lip in and bit down gently, wondering what he could say to him. "Sam, I know Dean and I have been together for a little while but sometimes it just doesn't work out."_

"_No. He's going to need you. He's just really stressed out, okay? Please don't go, he's just looking for a reason…" Sam all but begged him, his voice sounding strained like he was fighting to say each word. His breath started coming pained waves and Cas helped soothe them until the wound up resting on the sidewalk but breathing normally. _

"_A reason to what?" Castiel asked softly, running a hand over Sam's hair comfortingly._

"_To kill himself when I die." Sam's voice was gentle but somehow it sounded like the strongest thing he'd said in ages. _

"_He… he wouldn't." Cas furrowed his brow; his heart feeling like it was about to stop all together. _

"_Not as long as he has you." Green eyes shifted up to stare at him, that awful look that got you to do anything even if you didn't want to do it. But it wasn't something Castiel would be forced to do, he wanted things to work out with Dean, it was just a stupid fight._

"_Is that why you think he'll need me? Because you think you're going to die, Sam?" _

"_I know I am." Sam slowly pushed himself up, his arms shaking a little as sat upright, "The doctors told me last week, it's why Dean's been so uptight."_

_Cas knew Sam was trying to get him to be worried about his relationship with Dean, trying to get him to think about fixing everything and staying with his brother. But Castiel couldn't thinking of anything but Sam at that moment, he wrapped his arms around the boy's slender shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Tears stung his eyes and though he tried to fight it, he sobbed against the other. "I'm so sorry, Sam." His voice mumbled by Sam's now wet shirt. "You know I love you." He gasped, lifting his head and cupping Sam's face in his hands, "You deserved better than this."_

_It's what Cas said when they buried him, too. He stood at Dean's side, black the colour of their clothing, roses in his hands. "You deserved better than this."_

* * *

"_Watched it all go by. Was it really true?"_

* * *

**Primary World: Part 7**

Dean sat against the wall of Sam's room, looking over at the slumbering form of his brother. Jet had stayed most of the day and when Dean asked him to sleep over he did so without question. Jet had been his best friend forever and Dean didn't know how to show his appreciation for the effort the other man put into this, into Sam. He wanted to ask for help, to find a way to save his brother.

"_The closer it gets to waking the more aggressive the host will become."_

Castiel's words from the week before.

"_They'll be odd before that but it's hard to tell unless you know them personally."_

Had Sam been odd? Not to Dean's knowledge, but had he been paying close attention to it? Castiel was around, the new face in their home and causing Sam to act differently regardless. Dean really had no way of recalling if Sam was odd because he always acted a little different depending on who else was around.

The nightmare was new.

"_But the host won't survive."_

"Sam…"

"_I'm only capable of killing them."_

That's why Sam wanted Castiel out when he told Dean, but that was weird. Dean realized it now, Sam would normally tell Castiel immediately. He'd demand that the monster be killed before it was dangerous, before it had a chance to run from his body and get into another person. That's what Sam was like, self sacrificing and stubborn, not scared and willing to keep this a secret. Dean rubbed his face tiredly and walked out of Sam's room, letting his brother sleep.

"I don't know what's up," Jet started talking from the broken down couch, laying in the living room that he'd helped put back together, mostly. "I don't know what Sam was talking about and I don't know why you guys didn't tell Cas, but I want to help."

"Dude, this is something… I don't think you'd believe me even if I told you."

"Try me."

So Dean did and there was no real way to describe the look on Jet's face as he attempted to understand the whole thing. "Alright," he said after running a hand through shaggy hair, "Let's go with; I'm behind you one hundred percent even if I don't get it."

"Sounds good." Dean smiled as they moved into a hug, a solid clap to the other's back as they stepped away again. "I don't really know what to do though, Cas… says to get rid of it he has to kill it."

"Okay, and the catch that I'm not getting here is…?"

"To kill it, he has to kill Sam." Dean's brow furrowed, he fought off the urge to throw a fit over it. "He doesn't know any other way."

"There are other ways," Castiel's voice startled Dean, he spun around to see the priest dressed in his own clothes, that dark jacket ending at his ankles and those tight pants that outlined his figure nicely. If Dean weren't terrified of the fact that Cas had heard him he'd be checking the man out.

"What ways?" Jet asked for him, his expression darkened now that there was the possibility this stranger would threaten Sam's life.

"There are other high priests that have been known to banish the monster without hurting the man, in fact the priests are supposed to be fighting these things in teams. Or so I've heard." Castiel looked at Sam's bedroom and sighed lightly, Dean noticed darker rings forming beneath his eyes.

"So where's yours?"

Dean wouldn't have asked, he was glad that Jet did for all of two seconds until he saw the pain in Castiel's face, like he'd just been stabbed in the heart.

"I don't know. I've been doing this alone for a long time."

"Meaning that even though there are other ways to save Sam you don't have any available? Fan-fucking-tastic. What was the point in sharing that?" Jet all but snapped at the priest, about to continue when Dean motioned for him to stop.

"I was told before I arrived that my partner would be here, but I haven't seen any signs of him." Castiel knew he was lying, the signs were all right there and even if they weren't he could draw the conclusion easily enough. Whenever a new high priest would come into their power, there was always tragedy. And not just at the time of their awakening, either, their lives were riddled with it, some more than others. And the fact that this awakening was so similar to his own, Castiel could only assume that it couldn't be anyone but his partner going through this.

Dean lowered his head and rubbed his temples tiredly, "I… I can't just let you do that. I won't let you kill him." He looked up determinedly, staring right into Castiel's eyes without hesitation.

"Then he'll kill you." Cas pointed out. And that was something Castiel wouldn't ever let happen again, not while he was still breathing.

"I'll figure it out, alright?" Dean clenched his fists and glared down to the floor.

"Right." Cas sighed and folded his arms over his chest, "In the meantime, the longer this thing sleeps the longer it alerts other void monsters to this world. We have the information we need, we know it's Sam. We should take care of it now." Cas couldn't say why he hadn't just done it already; fuck what they think, right? They didn't know what he knew; they had no idea what the details of this situation were. Why was he waiting for their approval?

Because it was Sam. He couldn't do that to Sam… But he couldn't watch Dean die again, and he knew that if this Sam was anything like his, he'd never want to be responsible for murdering his brother.

"It doesn't matter, stay away from my brother." Dean sounded predatory as he growled out the words.

"Fine." Castiel headed for the door, "I'll be waiting, call me when you've changed your mind."

"Fine!" Dean shouted after him, flinching when he heard the door slam.

"This is nuts." Jet frowned, "That guy's a maniac, he wants to kill Sam! You wanna just let him walk around like that?"

"It's fine, Jet. I'll figure this out." Dean insisted, drumming his fingers along his leg anxiously. "No one's killing anybody…"

"Gotcha." Jet crossed his arms and leaned against the opposite wall from Dean, "Meantime plan?" Dean's silence was drawn out until his best friend coughed loudly, startling him to look up again. "Well I got one."

"You do?"

"Yep, I'm going to grab grumpy over there and we're going to hunt his partner down." Jet unfolded his arms and headed for the door. "Be right back, man."

Dean smiled and nodded, "Thanks Jet."

It would be okay, Jet and Cas would find the partner that could fix Sam and it would all be okay, this nightmare would be over. Dean allowed himself to believe this moments too soon, the door to Sam's room opened slowly, the younger Winchester standing in the doorway.

"Sammy?" Dean looked up, moving over to his brother's side but stopping short when he noticed the way Sam swayed. "Sam? What's going on? Are you feeling okay?"

Sam looked up at him, a crooked little smile spreading over his lips. "Hi, Dean." He took a step forward, his voice shaking from an almost laugh to nearly crying. "Dean I'm scared, please-"

"Sam!?" Dean felt his heart leap to his throat, "What…?"

"Do you need me?" There was a chuckle that followed, it made Dean's stomach churn.

"Always, Sammy."

"Do you love me?"

"Forever." Dean's jaw trembled; he didn't know what was wrong. He _knew_ what was wrong but he didn't know what it was doing to Sam. Was he hurting in there? He just said he was scared, what was happening?

Sam lifted his head properly now, though the strange way it tilted as he did was somewhat alarming. "Come here, Dean. I want to feel you." It was hardly Sam's usual tone and Dean knew it was something his brother would never say. Chills ran down his spine as he backed away, "I need you, Dean."

"Sammy, I'm gonna fix you, okay? Just hang in there." He tried to sound reassuring though he knew the fear was starting to show.

But the half sobbing voice didn't come back, instead Dean found himself running for the door with something far more terrifying following him behind.

* * *

"_Is that what it was? Was that really you?"_

* * *

**__Author's Note:  
**

**So another question had been asked and I felt it was good to clear it up: Castiel's dreams are flashbacks, those things actually happened to him. The Primary World Dean is not his reincarnated lover, he's a different person but there are parallels between them. Any other questions? I know it's a bit confusing, I'm still working on my story telling skills but I enjoy it.**


	8. Primary World: High Priest Dean

**Primary World: Part 8**

"SAM!" Dean nearly shrieked as he bolted from the house, barely dodging a swing from his brother's arm that wound up splintering the front door. The night air was cold and bit into Dean's skin fast, luckily his blood was running hot and fast, his heart pounding feverishly. He skittered in the grass and spun around to see Sam's form standing stiffly in the entrance, his head tilted to the side with a sick smile taking over his mouth. "We can beat this, Sammy." Dean sputtered.

"Why did you leave? I thought you said you loved me? You need me?" Sam croaked, his few steps forward were somehow twisted, his tone of voice a mixture of apathy and seduction that Dean was far from comfortable with. "I guess I was wrong."

"Sam-" The words wouldn't come to him, not as he watched the way that _thing_ distorted his brother. Sam's laugh, something Dean loved, came out so wrong, disgustingly vulgar and it nearly made him sick. _'Killing you can't be the only way.'_ He thought desperately, slowly backing away from Sam's ambling advance. "I can figure this out, give me some time." He couldn't think straight, not knowing that Castiel was out here, knowing that he intended to kill Sam and this would be the perfect time. He hadn't considered the fact that he was trying to bargain with a monster, though. All he could see was his little brother, and in that grotesque tone of voice he could hear Sam. Sam was still _in_ there, he could feel it.

"Why did you leave me?" Sam repeated, starting to sound a little irritated, his eyes twitching as his hands lifted toward his head.

"I never left you, Sam." Dean protested immediately, "I'm right here, see? I'm right here, like always. I'll never leave you Sammy."

Sam pressed his hands to the sides of his skull and pushed, fingers digging into the brown hair and nails embedded into his skin. "Make it… stop… Make it stop!" He started to scream; it grew louder and louder like someone was twisting a knife in his brain.

Dean knew what was going on, the flood of memories was hitting it now, the monster was fully awake and Sam's presence was going to vanish from the surface. But that didn't mean he was gone, it just meant he was buried deeper and Dean would have to do some digging to get him out. "Sam, hang in there." He could feel his legs trembling, all of his muscles tight and anxiously waiting for something, anything to help him out. And at the same time fear coursed along with all the rest of his feelings; he was scared that he'd lose Sam, afraid that Sam would kill him, just generally scared of the entire situation. But he didn't run, he waited right where he stood.

Sam's screams stopped and his arms loosened on his head, blood trickling down his cheek and along his jaw from where he'd punctured the flesh with his nails. Like dead weights his arms fell to his sides, body swaying slightly as if testing his balance, feet shifting in the grass and adjusting. Every little movement was subtle and quiet; the flex of his hands, twitch of his shoulders or lifting of his chest was so smooth Dean would have thought it was Sam again. Except for the way he stared, something murderous in the bright eyes of his brother, dark and lurking there. It was sharp, that glare was strong enough to strike Dean's core and shake him until he knew the anxiety in his muscles was only fear. He was afraid of Sam, of what was in him.

The next moment was a blur, Dean inhaled sharply but it was cut short by a hand that gripped his windpipe shut. Sam had moved so quickly and suddenly that Dean barely had the chance to react. On a different day, in a different setting, he'd have anticipated Sam's actions and would have no problem with reaction time. But fear did funny things to the nervous system.

"Sam…" He wheezed, voice pinching into more of a pained whine as his eyes fluttered open and closed, unable to make up their mind. "Samm..y…" His hands were grasping at Sam's arms and weakening fast, he squeezed his brother's bicep loosely. All a failing attempt to get him to let go, to coax Sam out again. As the corners of his vision started to fade Dean could hear something muffled, he thought for a moment it was a shout for him, someone screaming his name. His head fell back as far as Sam would let it, mind jostled and losing its grip. It kind of sounded like Cas, if he concentrated.

In the transition from consciousness Dean was snapped back around, complete delirium shaking him up and causing more of a panicked flail than he'd meant. Sam's hands were off of him and he found himself lying in the grass, coughing and hacking to the point he thought he might puke. As much as he would have enjoyed remaining there and pretending none of this was happening, he had to get up, he forced himself onto his hands and knees again. Dean was barely able to get handle on himself before he felt someone else pulling him to his feet.

"Dean?" Jet's voice was the first thing he realized he'd heard. "Breathe, man, breathe."

"Sam." Dean groaned, "Where's Sam-" He stopped when he saw Castiel perched above his littler brother, a foot pressed down against Sam's chest and some strange looking gun aimed toward his head. "Don't you dare!" Dean shouted, scrambling away from Jet and bolting across the lawn.

Castiel's arm hesitated, his fingers stiff at the trigger. He was staring down at a monster that looked like Sam Winchester; something he'd never imagined doing or ever wanted. Sam was the beautiful young man who had all but brought Castiel to his Dean in the first place. A chance encounter in the market place led to a relationship that Cas would never change, even if that meant it ended the same way. "Goodbye, Sam." He whispered for the second time in his life, "I love you."

He could hear Dean, every frantic babbling sound that came from him, but he wasn't worried. Even if Dean ran into him he'd never have the strength to move him.

And just as he was about to pull the trigger he found out how wrong he was. Dean's fist connected with his jaw and sent him rocketing in the opposite direction. The shot rang out from his Pernach pistol but missed its target, crashing into the dirt next to Sam's head. Castiel lifted his hand to his face and looked up bewilderedly at Dean; no regular human could do that to him. "You finally woke up." He growled, shifting his weight onto his other hand and pushing himself up again.

"You!" Dean pointed at him, "Get away from my little broth-" He was cut short as Jet grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hurled him to the ground a few feet away. "Jet! What the hell man!?" He rolled over to see his best friend's hands holding tight to Sam's shoulders, legs braced and feet slowly digging into the lawn.

"Sam," Jet strained to keep his hold on the thing that he long understood wasn't Sam anymore, the strength of the monster slowly over powering him. "C'mon buddy, I know you're in there. Your brother's trying _very_ hard to keep you safe, but you almost killed him." He'd locked into a solid staring contest with it, he could see every little difference the demoni made in Sam's gaze, the warmth gone and only a cold detachment left in its place. He could see hatred and even thought for a second he'd been able to make out the look of insanity. Although he couldn't quite see Sam in there, he believed Dean. "I know you don't want to kill him, Sam."

Dean slowly stood up, eyes shifting over to Castiel's location where the priest held his gun aimed at Sam but his gaze was firmly on Dean. While he didn't understand what Castiel was expecting, he didn't care as long as there would be no more shots fired at his little brother. Dean turned his attention back to Sam, watching the malicious intent settling here. The demoni in him would make him kill the people closest to him, the ones that Sam loved most; meaning Dean had been a pretty big target. He wasn't too surprised to see Jet was another one.

"You may want to help your friend." Castiel spat bitterly.

Dean frowned, what was he talking about? Jet was doing fantastically. Dean had barely been able to fight against Sam when he'd started strangling him, which was weird because Sam had never been stronger than him. But Jet was holding his own, sure he was slipping a little but it was giving Dean a second to figure the situation out. "Jet's got him," he answered quickly, wracking his brain for an answer.

"He can't do anything but hold on," Cas adjusted his combination gun and rolled his shoulders to get a kink out, "It's a matter of time before the demoni wins this skirmish."

While Dean was sure Castiel had more experience with these things he knew Jet and that guy could handle just about anything.

"I know you're thinking your best friend can do this, Dean. But get your head out of your own ass for a second and really _look_. Those things aren't weak; they easily knock a human aside with the swing of an arm. Are you really just going to stand there?"

"I need to save Sam, Jet gets that, it's why he's doing this." Dean would be lying if he said he didn't feel a bit of pressure at that moment. Cas wasn't wrong, Jet's body wouldn't hold out for him no matter how determined he was to help.

"I've got it but hurry up, man!" Jet called over, "He looks like he's slipping."

Worried now, Dean glanced over at Castiel's disturbingly still form. "How long does Sam have in there?"

"It depends on Sam." Cas shook his head, "But I'd wager an hour, maybe half."

"_What_!?" Dean shouted, just in time for Jet to give out, his legs buckling as Sam forced him to his knees. Dean snapped his head back and ran to his friend's aid for another failed attempt at a rescue. Sam caught him by the throat again but this time threw him across the yard and out of his way, turning attention back to Jet who struggled to stand again but couldn't with the monster's hand pressing him down, digging into his shoulder.

"If Sam's psyche is shaken too badly he'll give in faster. From what I know, once he's been completely over taken there's no saving him." Castiel explained solemnly, his hand steady on the trigger now, "And knowing Sam, if someone dies by his hand he'll be broken up about it."

"Of course he will!" Dean's raised voice was close to a roar as he charged again, his heart racing and beating erratically. He was about to watch his brother kill his friend, he was going to watch Sam lose himself and in turn be gone forever too. He couldn't lose them both.

The tension of the moment choked them and almost seemed to slow everything down to a crawl; Castiel's anxious swallow, Dean's scrambling steps in the grass, Sam's arm lifting and flexing back, and Jet, staring up to see it all and closing his eyes in waiting. The air was still and everything muffled into a silence in those last seconds, Castiel couldn't watch this, his eyes closing as well, blocking his mind from adding another image to his memory that he didn't want to see again. The silence all but exploded with Dean's screaming protest and Castiel had guessed what had happened, but the blinding light brightening the darkness of his eyelids told him he was wrong.

Looking up he could stare in amazement at the sight; Dean had managed to catch Sam in the act, tearing him down to the ground with a hand plastered to his chest, the other cupping his cheek. The light was erupting from both of their bodies; gleaming and making night look like day. "Sammy, I've got you," Dean's voice sounded broken, and it only took one second for Castiel to figure out why. Jet hadn't escaped the swing; he'd been knocked several feet away and was completely motionless. Cas couldn't make out any details of him from where he stood but his assumption was that it couldn't be pretty.

"Sam, it's okay." Dean's voice cracked as tears slipped from his eyes, dripping off his nose and onto Sam's shocked face. "I've got you, you're going to be okay." It was more of a prayer than a fact, Castiel noted, as Dean's hands glowed brighter. The light pushed through Sam's body, flowing through it entirely. It was mesmerizing to watch but it was hard to focus on the beauty of it, Cas was holding his breath and waiting for the result, to see if it worked. He'd never seen it done before so he really had no idea. As the glow was starting to settle it suddenly started to pulsate and gather, all of it into the same place. Cas' heart beat out of time, that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't working.

Dean's face lit up as the glow seemed to implode on itself, quickly focusing on Sam's face to see if there was any difference. The look of shock was still there, horrified and scared, but it was starting to relax. Hazy eyes blinked a few times before tears came to them, just a few at first but they started to rush out like they'd been held behind a dam. "Dean…" Sam squeaked, taking a shuddering breath, "What's going on? What did I do?"

"Sam," Dean laughed as relief washed over him, "Sammy you didn't do anything. It's okay now."

Castiel lowered his gun and turned away, his hand covering his mouth as he held back the pain in his chest. Sam was okay. Sam was alive. "Thank you." He whispered to no one in particular, just grateful for it to be true.

"Fuck…" Jet groaned, rolling over and startling the priest.

"He's not dead?" Cas asked incredulously, not realizing he was pointing too.

"No, m'not dead." Jet sat up and rubbed his head, "But damn it, Dean, had to kick me that hard?"

"Dude, you were stuck and about to die, what do you want from me?" Dean laughed as he lifted Sam up into his lap (as much of him that would anyway) and hugging him close.

"A medal." Jet muttered, "Of honour and glory, 'n shit."

Sam smiled through the tears, his head resting against Dean's chest as he listened to his heartbeat, a reminder that his big brother hadn't died because of him. "I'll make you one, Jet."

"Thanks Sam." He snickered, moving to look at the damage on his shoulder.

Castiel lifted the back of his coat and slipped his gun away inside, dropping the fabric and walking over to the deliriously happy threesome on the lawn. He couldn't help the smile on his face either, though, pushing up his cheeks and brightening his eyes as he knelt down next to Sam and Dean. "You're lucky, Sam." He said warmly, ignoring the way Dean tensed up at his presence. "To have someone like Dean around."

Sam looked up at his brother for a moment before returning his gaze to the priest, "Thanks, Cas. And… thank you for everything."

"Don't," Cas stood up again, "I would have killed you."

"I know." Sam smiled at him, an expression that nearly knocked him off his feet.

"Uh… guys?" Jet piped up again, his nervous tone catching their attention.

Castiel looked up to see the shadowy figure of the demoni hauling itself up from the grass. It looked injured but no less alive. "Oh… you just exorcised it." He mused.

"Is that…" Dean held tighter to Sam, his little brother's hands clinging a little harder right back.

"It is." Cas smirked and drew his pistol again, safety off and aimed at the thing's head. "It's weakened, lost its protective skin when it possessed your brother." He explained whilst casually approaching the thing. "Say goodnight, you son of a bitch."

Dean covered Sam's ears as the shot rang out, the younger Winchester bristling at the sound. The monster froze in place but didn't fall, its body twitched and flailed for a few seconds before it completely disintegrated. The particles taking flight in the air only to vanish entirely after a few words spoken by the priest.

"What the fuck…" Was all Jet managed to say from his spot on the lawn.

"Yeah." Dean agreed breathlessly, eyeing Castiel's back as he stowed his gun one more time. There were so many things that should have been asked at that point but all Dean could do was marvel at this man. Showed up in their town, spooked him, mooched off him, threatened Sam, and saved their lives. Despite already knowing a bit, Dean wanted to know more. Who was Castiel? And now that he'd saved them, what was he going to do?

Cas looked over at him as if reading his mind. His eyes flinched as if he'd just heard something stupid, he rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, "Get ready."

"For what?" Dean raised an eyebrow but his answer didn't come, instead he found himself flying. The ground vanished, Sam vanished, and all he knew was that the world around he spun in a way he didn't understand. Dean flailed and screamed unil he landed on his stomach with a profound 'oof'.

"Get up." Dean could see Castiel's boots standing just in front of him, the jacket he wore level with his ankles and nearly tickling Dean's nose.

"What happened? Where's Sam-"

"They're fine, probably just a bit freaked out." Cas interrupted, reaching down and hauling Dean to his feet. "Come on."

Dean frowned deeply and looked up at where Castiel was indicating. There, right in front of him was an enormous gate up a few short steps. "Where are we…"

"We've been summoned to meet with the Faith's servants."

"What?" Dean made a face, his tone somewhat annoyed and possibly sounded stupid to Castiel.

Cas rolled his eyes again, yep, definitely sounded stupid. "Many worlds have different names for it, yours, I believe, would call it Heaven."

"Say what?" Dean's jaw dropped as he stared up at the gates again.

"Shut up." Was the last reply Castiel gave him as he took to the stairs.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks for reading guys, spread the word if you like the story :) Please and thank you, of course ^_^**


	9. In Between: Time To Get Serious

**Author's note:**

**Heya guys, thanks for reading. Sorry for the later update, things with school are getting a little crazy and my dad's going in for some major surgery for tumor removal so I've been kind of stressed out. If you could send a little love my way I'd appreciate it :)**

* * *

**In Between**

"Cas," Dean followed the priest's footsteps easily enough, not really trying to be a nuisance or anything, but he had so many questions and Cas, who seemed to know where he was going perfectly, moved like the freaking wind. "Cas, hold up man. What the hell is going on? Why are we in heaven? _How_?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Castiel answered curtly though without his usual bitterness. It was odd, to see him in this lighting, it was so bright but not to the point of blinding. It was comfortable, like a soft glow on everything he could see. Castiel was no different; his pale skin illuminated like the angels Dean expected to see. Maybe he'd already seen one, maybe he was looking at one right in that moment. Cas glanced at him and the little way his eyes widened caught Dean off guard, Castiel's neutral expression snapped to surprised, pained, and 'I'm out of your league' in the span of a second. Dean had no idea what went through the priest's mind but he had a feeling if he asked he'd get a fist first.

"They want to meet you." Cas relinquished the information finally though Dean still didn't quite get it.

"Who?"

"The ones who made me a high priest of the faith, they're holy beings that have many names just like the place they reside. You can call them what you like."

"So… angels?" Dean asked, a little light in his eyes that suggested there might be a story behind the question.

"I… suppose. Though you may come across 'angels' in other worlds. I've noticed that they're becoming more frequent lately. A lot of things are changing on the mainline." Cas folded his arms behind his back as he stopped in front of what Dean perceived as a wall. "Do what I do." He instructed calmly before walking into and through what Dean thought was solid.

"Uh… alright then. Wow." He didn't have many words lined up to express half the things going through his mind. It had been a long and awful day already, he was exhausted and sore and ready to curl up and sleep, or at least he'd felt that way before getting to 'paradise'. Dean felt awake, alert, hell, he felt better than he had in years. Maybe that was just what the place did to him, or something. He had no idea anymore. Just a lot of questions, millions of questions.

Castiel strolled into the room and after a sweeping bow he lowered himself to the floor, on one knee he glanced back at Dean who was in awe of the view. Three beautifully cloaked beings stood across from them, though there was a significant distance in between. They glowed like everything else though much brighter, all with their faces mostly covered, the only skin showing was what could be seen around their eyes. "Dean," Cas whispered, catching his attention again.

"Hm?" Dean furrowed his brow when the priest nodded his head downward, at first unsure what he meant until he remembered the 'do what I do' instructions. "Oh. Right." He hadn't quite paid attention to every move so he dropped onto one knee beside Cas, the dark-haired male shaking his head and rolling his eyes at how graceless it all was.

"Holiness," He started after another pause of silence, "Why have you summoned us?"

"Because your partner needs to be sworn in." Dean heard the voice but could hardly believe it, it sounded so familiar and yet completely foreign. Beautiful though, absolutely beautiful. He smiled to himself, pretty much missing the point of that conversation. Sensory overload was kicking in, or was already settled in his brain.

Castiel looked over at him, that pained look returning and mixing with the blue in his eyes. Dean wished he knew why Castiel looked that way, why he only looked at _him_ that way. "Dean," Cas spoke gingerly, "That's you. Step forward."

"Wait, what?" Dean snapped his head up toward the holy beings, "His _partner_? I'm his partner? How? Why?" He pulled himself to standing again and walked closer, the one in the center lifting its hand to him. Dean froze and watched the light formulating around the delicate limb extended his way, "Wait, hold on. I can't do what he does; I need to stay with my brother." His protests weren't heard, it seemed, as a soft chanting filled the room. "Hey! Listen to me!" Dean shouted but the weight of his anger was lost when he found himself floating mid-air, his clothing starting to shred off his body like it was made of silk and never really on him in the first place.

Castiel slowly rose, watching silently as he curled his bottom lip in. Dean's body was different than the one he'd known, it was stronger, the muscles were more prominent, he'd been able to eat properly. It was nice to see him healthier, to see his figure without the definition of his spine. Though in addition to that Cas had to keep his eyes away from the unseemly parts of Dean's body, focusing on the center of his back where a symbol started to burn its path. Dean's muscles flinched and flexed backward, his mouth open in a silent scream, face twisting to the pain. It was like being branded, Castiel remembered. The searing pain as his flesh lit up in holy fire, the outline and design of their symbol burning into him.

Dean squeezed his eyes shut as the pain subsided, slowly drifting away and fading as a smooth cloth slid up his back and over his skin. It was cool, felt brand new but like it was made for him. Carefully his eyelids lifted, his feet clad in combat boots touching down onto the reflective floor below him. He looked up bewildered then back at Castiel for an answer, not missing the soft expression of someone unsure on his face. "Cas?"

"Yes?" His voice was gentle, quiet and lost.

Of all the questions swarming in his head Dean couldn't help but ask just the one, "Are you okay?"

The way Castiel's eyes seemed to snap into focus again and how his breath hitched made Dean worry, "I'm fine. How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly good," Dean looked down at himself for the first time to realize he was wearing the same styled outfit as Castiel, the long coat, tight-fitting pants, and the boots. "Whoa… So wait, is this a matching outfit or a uniform?"

"Uniform." Cas replied, moving to his side and looking up at the celestials, he wasn't sure what to say to them. He finally had a partner, someone to work with, someone to spend the days with. And it was another Dean Winchester. Part of him felt giddy but the rest of him had to question the thought process that went behind all of it. What were they thinking, pairing him with Dean? After everything, how could they do this to him? It's like they expected he'd properly healed from the ordeal or something. And though he wished that were true, he couldn't say so without lying. _'Try to focus on the good, Castiel.' _He told himself and glanced Dean over one more time, _'At least you won't be alone anymore.'_

Dean glanced back to see Cas' gaze looking over his newly dressed form and raised an eyebrow at him, "What?"

"Looks good on you." Castiel was quick to answer; he knew he'd been caught so there was no point in trying to act as if he were doing anything other than checking Dean out.

"You have been Castiel's partner since before you were born, Dean Winchester." One of the celestials started to speak, the same one as before and Dean was wondering if maybe it was the only that did.

"Don't give me that destiny crap, I'm telling you I can't leave my brother." Dean crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze steady as he stared at the holy beings. "I don't care what-ow!" He glared over at Castiel who'd cracked him in the back of the head. "What'd you do that for?"

"You can't stay, Dean. Not after your abilities have woken." Cas' usual tone was back, bite and all.

"Why not?" He snapped right back, angling himself to face Cas better.

"Because the void creatures are drawn to us, it's part of being a high priest." The low growl of his voice would have sent a shiver through Dean if he weren't pissed off by it.

"I don't _want_ to be a priest!"

"You don't get to choose!"

"Gentlemen," The room seemed to dim a little as the gentle voice washed over them again, "Do you understand what relies on you?"

"Yes." Castiel said without looking away from Dean, the venom on his tongue audible.

"No, and I don't care to know." Dean growled right back, mostly aimed at Castiel.

"If you _don't_ help me," Castiel's anger was growing to the point that Dean thought he could hear it rumbling in the room. "Everyone will die. _Everyone_, you understand? That includes your best friend, _that means Sam_. Dean, if you don't leave your brother you'll lose your brother."

Dean fell silent, his face caving in as the thought hit him, and it hit hard. That wasn't much of a choice and from the sounds of it he had none. It wasn't fair; it was like blackmail on one of the highest forms, wasn't it? He furrowed his brow and glared toward the celestials, "Is that true?"

The silence continued until the middle one nodded, "Yes. I'm afraid it is, Dean. And I can't say how long it'll take, either."

"But…" Dean looked down and clenched his fists, his mind only able to think of one thing; what about Sam? "When do I have to go?"

"At your leisure, you may depart whenever you are ready."

'_Like I'll ever be ready…'_ Dean headed back toward the doors, his heart deflated as he went, ignoring the sound of Castiel's footsteps behind him. Part of him knew he should be ecstatic for this; to be given an opportunity to help save something he hadn't known was in danger. But he just couldn't bring himself around to that way of thinking. Not after everything he'd gone through with Sam, promising to stay with him. Of course, saving his little brother's life came first, he could complain about the time he'd missed after that.

They descended the staircase after the gates, Dean falling in line behind Castiel, he had nothing to say and Cas seemed to be in the same kind of mood. The silence around them felt thick, the longer they went without talking the more Dean felt his blood boil. "You have something to say, right?" He finally spouted, watching his new partner's pace toward their exit.

Castiel stopped and glanced back at him, eyes sharp and cold. "People often need to lose something to realize it's value, but not you. You already know the value of your brother's life, you know it and still you'd want to stay home. Take it from someone who knows, Dean, it's much easier to go on knowing he's still alive somewhere, not a corpse you had to bury yourself."

Dean's brow furrowed together, he had expected something a little more insulting. "So… who did you lose?"

"My husband." Castiel stated simply, motioning for Dean to follow him through a hazy wall a little ways ahead of them. Dean's expression was frozen in shock at Castiel, and yet it all seemed to fit at the same time. He would have asked further but Castiel disappeared into the cloud, completely gone from Dean's view.

"Cas…" He felt an ache for the other man, his chest hurting a little as he ran into what he could only assume was safe. The wall was more like vapour though it felt like nothing. Dean's body lifted from where his footsteps fell, floating now and moving through something that felt ridiculously like what he thought space would always feel like. He didn't want to think he was in space but it was kind of fun to imagine it. Dean lifted his head to see Cas waiting for him before another cloudy space ahead. "How did he…" Dean wasn't sure if he could finish the sentence, not after seeing the way Castiel's eyes darted away from him.

"A demoni, just like the one that had Sam." He explained softly. "Back then I didn't know what was going on or what was wrong with him. The holy beings you just met saved my life… They uh…" Cas turned away, his intention to continue on and leave but Dean's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "They showed me how to use my power, by example." His voice was low, quiet and Dean could've sworn he heard a subtle shift of pain in there as well.

"They made you kill him?" He bit out, his own voice sounding hoarse just from the thought of it.

Castiel was quiet for a long moment after but he nodded finally, "Yes." The word was simple and it gave all the answers that Dean needed, but somehow it was stronger than that. He'd received a little bit of insight as to who Castiel was and the more he got to know the more he realized that he'd misjudged him. Neither said another word as they passed through the second haze, Dean wondering partially if this was any good for his health.


	10. Primary World: Departure

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the delay everyone. For those wondering, my dad's surgery went well, he's been recovering for a day now and he's already been walking a bit. No food or drink yet and he's very sad he can't have his jell-o, but he's doing well. I'm kicking back into gear and hoping to get my homework back on track and some more of this story written up ^_^ Thanks for reading all, hope to hear from you soon.**

* * *

**Primary World: Part 9**

It had only been ten minutes. Maybe. Sam's face had creased into a worried grimace as he sat beside the couch. His legs folded under him in a way that he didn't care to consider, despite his left foot starting to fall asleep. Sam drummed his fingers anxiously on the edge of the cushion near Dean's arm, brushing past the fabric every now and then.

"Sam, calm down alright? They're fine." Jet spoke soothingly, his hand on Sam's shoulder rubbing gentle circles into his skin. But Sam would have none of it, smacking Jet's hand away and leaning over the couch where he'd laid Dean.

"They _collapsed_, Jet. They both just crumpled to the ground like they'd lost their spines. Tell me again how that's 'fine'?!" He snapped, his nose flaring as he inhaled deeply around his anger. Frustration and worry melted into the same feeling of useless as he sat at Dean's side, watching how calm his brother looked. Normal creases in his face were smoothed, his eyelids didn't even flutter; it was starting to drive Sam up the wall. It'd been maybe ten minutes but that was ten minutes too long. Dean was breathing, he'd checked that much at least. His brain was getting oxygen and his heart was beating, sending blood to his limbs.

He looked fine. If Sam hadn't been right there when it happened he would have thought Dean was asleep.

Jet leaned against the couch and reached down to poke Dean's cheek, "C'mon man, get up and show Sam you're fine."

"Jet…" Sam grumbled defensively, flicking his hand away from Dean's face. "Don't."

The older male shrugged and moved to Castiel's side, double-checking that he was also still breathing. "I'm telling you, this has got to be something to do with this punk, here." He muttered mostly to himself though loud enough for Sam to hear.

"I hope you're right." Sam's voice fell soft as he dropped his head against Dean's arm. His brother was all he had, really. Dean was the only thing in the world he couldn't imagine losing and after everything they'd been through together already he never wanted to think about it.

A few more minutes went by, Sam didn't move an inch, stubbornly keeping his head against the warmth of Dean's skin, making sure it stayed that way. In doing this he missed when Dean's eyes opened. The older brother glanced to the heavy weight on his arm, eyes flicking up to where Jet crouched, a grin on the brunette's face. Dean motioned toward Sam very gently so as not to alert him to the movement. Jet mouthed a few words Dean could only assume were 'he was scared.' He had to say something to end it, if that's really how Sam was feeling.

"Hey, Sammy." Dean mumbled tiredly, his eyes half-lidded as he watched Sam's head jerk up to meet his gaze.

"Dean? You're okay?" Sam shuffled a bit closer though he was already plastered against the couch. The sharp tingling of his sleeping foot shocking him a little and the way his voice cracked next would be forever blamed on exactly that. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Long story," Dean started to sit up, looking around a little bewildered, "How long have I been out?"

"Ten minutes, tops." Jet called over, standing up straight and crossing his arms over his chest, his eyebrow raised as he looked at Sam. "I figured you'd be fine."

Dean smirked, "Sure you did, man." He looked over at Sam who was busying himself with standing as well, the telltale signs of 'I didn't really care that much' lie embedded in his features. "Sorry," Dean decided to go for an apology rather than being a dick. Sam looked stressed and didn't need the added crap.

Sam glanced over at him and smiled, relief clear in his face, "It's okay, you came back."

Castiel stood and rolled his head around, "I hate when they do that." He mumbled grumpily, hand running up through his hair to fix any damage done. "Dean, let me know when you're ready."

Dean gripped the side of the couch, the sound scratching into his ears but not helping to numb the feeling in him. "Right…"

"Ready?" Sam furrowed his brow and looked between them, "Ready for what?"

Dean almost couldn't bring himself to look at his brother, but the nagging feeling that he may never get the chance to again hauled his chin up. Sam's face was twisted in a worried stare but despite that he was still beautiful, the little twerp that Dean had all but raised on his own had grown up great and after all was said and done, he'd continue to be amazing. With or without Dean there. It hurt to think of it, to imagine Sam without him, to imagine life without Sam, but some things needed to be done. "I'm his partner." He explained softly, biting the inside of his cheek as he watched the reaction crawl across Sam's face.

"What?" Sam almost laughed it out, a nervous kind of sound that sunk into his movement and tightened his facial features until the concern was barely masked. "As in his 'travel the many worlds' partner?"

Dean exchanged a glance with Castiel who turned away, the hard-ass, bitter man apparently not good at this kind of thing either. "Basically, yeah." He could hardly look at Sam's face as his brother stared at him, mouth opened slightly as his eyes narrowed in thought. "And it looks like I have to leave-"

"I'm coming with." Sam interrupted, his expression tensing as he leaned forward, shoulders stiff and posture almost threatening. Dean opened his mouth to protest but Sam continued to speak over him, "There's nothing you can say that'll change my mind, Dean. Before you say another word, just know that if you leave I've got no one."

Dean frowned, "What about Bobby? Ellen, Jo, Rufus-"

"What about them, Dean? I get to see them on holidays or special occasions, hurray, I'll be fine." Sam's jaw was clenched as he spoke, the humour completely drained from his voice.

"And me?" Jet crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head as he furrowed his brow.

Sam glanced over at him but didn't address it more than that, "Dean, I'm coming with."

"That's ridiculous." Castiel turned back toward the conversation with bite in his tone, "Sam, you aren't capable of surviving out there. You can't defend yourself against what we'll be facing, it's suicide for you to go, and it'd be stupid of us to let you come with."

"I don't care, you aren't taking my brother out of here without me." Sam remained firm on his choice, face determined and stance rigid.

"Sam," Dean started softly, "You… are the most well-adjusted guy I know; you have a ton of friends at school and you're the last one to ignore the people that care about you." He glanced over at Jet who's gaze had shifted from Sam to Castiel, watching the stranger vacantly. "Bobby would come see you if you needed him, Ellen would visit, Jo would possibly even move in to take up my space, and Jet's always here. I don't get why you're saying you only have me."

Sam bristled a little, his expression softening as he turned back toward his brother, "You caught me," he sounded a little surprised as he spoke, "I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you." Dean's face told enough without him having to say 'aw, Sammy' out loud. "Yeah, you're right, I have a lot of friends and tons of people around me to keep me company. I'd survive you leaving, I'd get over it, but I don't think _you_ can survive you leaving. And before you give me that 'What the hell are you talking about' look, hear me out." Sam's angry exterior all but melted as he swallowed past a growing lump in his throat. "You spent so much time taking care of me, and now the only people you have are the same that I have. But you're the one leaving, you can't go see any of them, you can't… see me."

Dean was quiet for a long moment, no one said anything and for a second he forgot that Cas and Jet were present. At least until one of them spoke up, "Dean's going to have a job to do out there, Sam." Jet crossed the room to better center himself in Sam's vision. "He can't spend his time looking out for you. It's dangerous, remember what happened to me?"

Sam tried not to look at the marks on Jet's arms and shoulders, where his shirt had ripped and dark bruises peered through like hateful eyes, reminding him. "I'm sorry-"

"It wasn't you, it was one of those void monster things." Jet corrected him quickly, "But that doesn't matter, does it? There's like, what, thousands of these things? What the hell are you going to do when one of those comes at you?"

Sam stood his ground, glaring Jet right in the eye, "I'll fight it."

"You?" Jet's tone wasn't mocking but it definitely didn't indicate belief in any way, "I don't think so. A _weakened_ version of that thing did this to me, did _that_ to Dean's neck. You aren't either one of us, Sam."

"Then what the hell do you expect me to do?!" Sam shouted, still refusing to back down. "Dean can't go into this alone, I'll never see him again!"

"Maybe he has to," Castiel interrupted, "He's been burdened with saving the known worlds right along with me. Sam, he's doing this to save you, so he can see you again." He tried to take a more reassuring tone, something that always used to work on the Sam that he used to know. It looked like it made a difference in Sam's rigidity, his shoulders lowering and head angling back down. "It may be better for you to stay here."

Dean furrowed his brow but he'd already come to terms with this, he couldn't stay with Sam. If Cas and Jet could get it across without him having to argue with his little brother, then all the power to them.

Jet raised an eyebrow and shook his head, "No, Sam's going with."

"What?" All three looked to him then, the same word falling out of each mouth in a different tone of voice. Dean was curious, hopeful even, Sam was surprised, and Cas teetered on the edge of severe annoyance.

"I said Sam's going with. The point I was making is that Dean can't protect him, doesn't mean I can't." Jet's mouth quirked up in a smirk, catching Dean's excited expression in his peripheral. Sam grinned and high-fived their long-standing friend as Dean rose to hug them both. Castiel on the other hand rolled his eyes and stared up at the ceiling, as if he expected a protest from the light bulb.

"Thank you," Dean whispered into the three-way hug with his brother and best friend, his tough skin cracking to show the emotional tidal wave he'd be smashed with. Sam squeezed him harder, the comfort of the gesture only making Dean's eyes sting a little more. He never had to say anything for Sam to know; to know that he was afraid of being alone, of losing everyone he loved and never being able to be around them again. Dean never had to speak a word for either of them to know that Sam coming with was inevitable, not just a whim on a prayer.

"You're welcome," Sam said as they separated; Jet nodding his agreement though finding no reason to really say it, like it was obvious he'd do it to begin with.

"Fine." Cas huffed and looked at them, "But if you all die don't come crying to me."

"We'll be dead so I don't think that'll be an issue." Jet chided, trying not to laugh.

"Right, but if Sam does and you don't, I don't want to hear about it." Cas dropped himself onto the couch next to Dean and folded his arms together, "You two pack your shit, we'll leave as soon as you're ready."

"Two? Dean needs to pack too-" Sam started but stopped when Cas' gaze snapped to him.

"Dean's coat has everything he needs."

"My what?" Dean furrowed his brow, looking down at himself. He knew that his spirit or whatever it was that went to heaven wound up in the same uniform as Cas, but he woke up in his usual clothes. He regretted asking nearly immediately, the roll of those blue eyes struck his pride hard. If this priest could get any sassier Dean thought he might have to deck him.

"Do I have to spell everything out for you?" Cas muttered, walking over to Dean and lifting a hand over his head. "I'm going to activate it for you, alright? Once I do I want you to pay attention to how it feels. You can control this kind of thing, and a lot more if you don't ignore it." Despite annoyance and 'do I have to' attitude, Castiel's voice was tender, bordering on intimate for a moment before he corrected himself.

Dean closed his eyes and focused, he didn't know exactly on what but he focused anyway. Nothing happened for the longest time and he wondered if maybe he was doing it wrong, when a tingle started in his brain and drew all attention to it. It didn't hurt, it felt like some lightly brushing over his skin but on the inside of his skull somehow. And even when the tingle stopped he could still feel the area it'd come from, sitting there and waiting for him to access it again. An awareness in his mind sparked, like little firecrackers behind his eyelids and all along his nervous thoughts. It was amazing, really. He wouldn't know how to describe it in any way, all he knew was that he felt his eyes roll back and his head tilt up. All the while the feeling over his skin changed, the cloth he'd been wearing slid away and in its place sat something more familiar than he'd care to admit. He didn't know how or why it was, he just knew he recognized it. Like it was meant for him in a way.

"Did you get that?" Castiel's voice broke his drifting attention span and dragged it back to the living room. For a moment Dean thought he'd heard longing in Cas' words but decided it was better not to ask. Cas knew him, he'd been pretty closed off about his past and his husband and everything else but Dean knew for sure that Cas knew him in some way or another. "Dean?"

"Yeah." Dean shook his head, stopping his mind from wandering again. "I got it."

"Good, I went slowly so you could get a good sense for it." Cas headed for the door, "They're done packing, let's go."

"Wha-?" Dean looked up to see that Sam and Jet were indeed ready with bags packed lightly with clothing and other possible essentials. Either he'd been out of it for a while or they just moved at the speed of light. He was pretty sure it was the latter, though it could have been possible that he'd sat in a daze for an hour. Who knew.

"Ready when you are Dean." Sam smiled brightly and somehow it was the most reassuring thing that had happened all day.

"I'm good to go." Dean grinned in return and stood, noting the flow of his coat behind him.

The three headed out the front door, all pausing in surprise to see Castiel standing in front of a severely distorted space just above the lawn. It wasn't easy to spot if you were passing by, but they had been looking for something out of the ordinary. Sam shifted excitedly, heading over to Cas' side and staring up at what he thought to be a portal. "Where does it go?"

"To the mainline worlds. There had been several closed off," Cas explained, knowing he'd said this before. "We're going to whichever one is closest and open."

"Awesome." Sam had many more questions to ask but he figured he'd done enough already. "Thanks, by the way." He looked over at Cas, a smile on his face.

Castiel furrowed his brow though it was hard to be annoyed with Sam, "What for?"

"For not saying no. If you had denied Jet and I, ultimately we couldn't really go, could we?"

A long silence followed as Jet and Dean caught up, their conversation something about Dean having 'nice digs'. "If there's no protest from my management then I can't rightly say no, can I?" What he wasn't saying was that he wanted Sam to come with; he wanted to be around him more, to see Sam do things, breathe; _live._ It was somewhat therapeutic for him.

Sam recognized a 'I didn't feel like protesting' when he saw one, but didn't push it. "Thanks, all the same."

"You're welcome."

"Let's get this show on the road!" Jet cheered, slapping his buddy on the back, nearly causing Dean to face plant into the grass.

"Dude, I've barely gotten a rest after that fight, mind not doing that?" Dean laughed, shoving Jet right back.

Cas rolled his head around to crack his neck, shoulders flexing forward and back before he stepped into the portal, figuring he didn't need to say 'follow me.'

Sam paused after Jet jumped through, smiling at Dean reassuringly, "Ever stop to think our lives were boring?"

Dean smirked and looked back at their house, "Not once, Sammy. Not even once." He didn't know what kind of answer Sam was looking for but it seemed to do the trick, the younger Winchester hopped into the rift easily, like he was passing through a doorway. Dean inhaled deeply and approached, hesitating to look back at their home one more time. "Mom, dad," he whispered, "Watch out for us, wherever you are."

"Come on." Castiel leaned back through the rift, grabbing hold of Dean's coat and hauling him through, very unceremoniously and lacking any kind of grace whatsoever.


	11. Back to the Future: Separated

**Author's Note:**

**As promised, they travel to another world and this one is based in my oldest fanfic; Back to the Future. It's not necessary to have read it but if you want to it's there ;)**

* * *

**The Mainline**

The mainline was incredible. Dean stared at the vastness before him, he could see distant stars and yet his mind knew what they were, worlds, waiting or dormant. The mainline was lit up like a road floating in space, what looked like little fires floating all along the path to lead the way. Dean reached over and waved a hand over one, it wasn't hot. In fact looking closer it didn't even look like normal fire. It wavered when his hand passed over, flickering in colour and texture for a brief second before returning to the pale yellow it had been.

Castiel was already walking along, his stride calm and certain, like he'd done this a thousand times before. He had no patience for the silent awe that the three tag-alongs were stuck in though he really didn't have a choice to pause and wait for them.

"Why are some of the fires different colours?" Sam asked as his eyes followed down the trail, noting how different parts of the path split off and the pale yellow seemed to flare to a vibrant red in some areas, dark blue in others.

"They're signs," Cas moved his hand over the path ahead of him and it started to move beneath their feet, a moving walkway that didn't look entirely solid to begin with. Jet shifted uncomfortably but kept his mouth shut; he was the one with the bold statement to begin with so it'd be ridiculous to start complaining five minutes in. He'd wait for at least ten. "Depending on the colour, size, and pattern of the flame I can discern which worlds are of greater importance."

"So, I'm guessing red is a little worse?" Dean furrowed his brow and looked down a red pathway as they passed it.

"Somewhat, yes." Cas answered vaguely, stopping them in front of a fork in mainline, the two paths that seemed to lead to the same place wound up in different spaces. "This world has an alternate attached to it." He explained though no one asked about it.

Dean looked at it; he could see the swirling mass that must have been the world that Cas was talking about. The path on the one side was as pale yellow as everything else, but the left was a deep red like the others. He looked at the left side closely; he could feel something coming from it, like it'd been twisted somehow. "What… what's the point in doing all of this if those void monster things are all able to get in and destroy everything anyway? What's the point in killing just one?"

"When we take out the monsters that have crawled into the worlds, we're a step closer to wiping them out." Cas folded his arms over his chest and turned his head away, "It's not efficient but it's all we've got."

"There has to be something else." Sam frowned, "You'll never be able to do it like that."

"I wasn't aware you were an expert on all of this." Cas muttered sarcastically, walking down the left path to the opposite end of the world. "When a world has an alternate attached to it you need to be careful which side you enter. Ultimately it's fairly easy to get it right, the path splits for you to show the different routes."

"What happens if you get it wrong?" Dean walked up beside him, looking at the hazy space ahead of them.

"Mostly you just waste your time, but when we leave the mainline the clock starts to tick again; when we're between the worlds time slows and almost stands still for us. Just know that when we enter these worlds we may be thrown right into a mess, if the clock starts again and we aren't there to do something because we entered the wrong side, that's on us."

Dean nodded and adjusted himself, "Then I guess we go through and see what we find. Anything I need to know before going in?"

Cas chuckled, "Everything. You need to know everything." He ran a hand over the short hairs on the back of his neck in thought, "First off, this world has an alternate because there were various ways things could have ended up; this is just one of the two main ones but it seems they're having a bit of an infestation problem."

"How do you know all this?" Sam piped up again, his mind trying to take everything in all at once.

"It comes with time, Sam. I can see it, I can feel it, and the history of the world is open to me if I choose to listen to it." Cas sighed lightly, "I only look for the recent problems, though. I don't see a point in going over the entire history." He was about to go in when he realized he hadn't gone into a new world with additional people before. Cas looked at them but thought better of mentioning it, it was probably nothing really. They'd wind up in the same place.

Or so he figured, as he stepped inside.

* * *

**Back to the Future World: Part 1**

Castiel leaned against a fence put up around the group's fresh water supply, a small creek in Camp Chitaqua, his eyes sweeping over the landscape around him. It never used to be very interesting to look at but after building on the grounds and creating a real establishment to live in, he had to say he'd grown fond of it.

In 2014 the world had been pretty much over; Camp Chitaqua was their safe haven, their fort and base of operations. People hid there from the croats and demons, fighting off what they could for the longest time while Lucifer reigned. But that was 2014, it had been three years since then and things had lightened considerably. The battle with Lucifer went down in Detroit and it had ended in their favour, the second time around anyway.

Most people of Chitaqua didn't know how they'd won and most wouldn't bother asking because why question a good thing? No one knew that Castiel had been taken back in time, retrieved the Horsemen's rings from a past Sam and Dean and had taken over the planning himself. No one knew that Cas had seen their fate once, that they had all died once because of Dean's backstabbing decisions.

But it had been three years since then, Cas had knocked some sense into their 'fearless leader' when he tried to jump into the pit with Sam and everything had been better. Mostly, anyway. Something had cropped up in the last while and it wasn't something that they were used to dealing with. Monsters, not demons, crawled around in the abandoned and ruined cities of their past. Generally minding their own business until they sensed someone nearby. It was like horror movies all over again, these creatures were almost twice the size of a regular man but at least ten times stronger. They'd hunt down a person once their presence was known, catch them and skin them alive on the spot.

Cas had seen it at least five times now. Giant, clawed hands wrapping around the torso of a person and peeling away their flesh easily, like an expert peeling an apple. The screams were awful though it was hard to give Castiel nightmares anymore. If the monster had eaten them afterward it would have been a mercy, but that's not what those things did. The body was desecrated in every way imaginable and he really didn't intend on thinking too hard on it, the imagery was enough to make his stomach churn.

Dean was out. He and the others were on a mission to kill the bastards that were interrupting the original clean up. Apparently it was harder to take these things out than the croats because the teams seemed to be coming back with fewer and fewer fighters. Not that Cas didn't go with on occasion, but he tended to take turns with others, not wanting to wear himself out. As Cas stood and thought over the past and how things had gone right and then wrong again, something trembled above the water.

Cas took several steps away from the source, eyes focused on the space above their small creek. It wavered again, rippling like the air was water. It was surreal and in that moment Cas could have sworn he was dreaming again. But when a body fell out, flailing and thrashing into the water, he thought that there was no way he'd dream this up. He hadn't taken any drugs since before facing Lucifer so that was out. He stepped closer, eyes narrowing as he stared at the delirious person, they flailed somewhat and scrambled apart; it was two people completely entangled with one another.

"DUDE!" Jet shouted, "Are you still you!?" His hands pat all over his body to make sure he was in one piece, "We didn't fuse together?"

"Don't think so! No, no I don't think so." Dean was breathing just as heavily, eyes wide and staring at his friend whose expression was matching, if not more dramatic.

Cas' mouth quirked up in a smile as he watched them, "Dean?" He asked after a moment, letting them try and get their bearings straight. "Is that you?"

Dean looked up and frowned, "Yeah Cas, it's me. Who else do you think is wearing this stupid… get up…" He slowed down as he realized Cas wasn't in his cloak and, hell, he was _smiling_. "What happened? What'd I miss?"

Cas chuckled, "You aren't my Dean." He walked closer and leaned against the fence again, his arms crossed and hip out, just a little bit. "What time are you from?"

Dean looked at Jet then back at Cas, and back to Jet one more time. "You think there are other versions of us running around?"

"After everything, man, I wouldn't be surprised." Jet huffed, standing up and glaring down at himself. "I'm totally soaked, everything I packed is soaked. This is bullshit."

"Get over it." Dean muttered as he stood as well, looking back to Cas, "I'm uh… not from a specific _time_. Try 'other world'."

Cas' eyebrows lifted and he laughed again, that smile still pulling his lips up and showing his age just a little. "No kidding? There are other worlds now?" He shook his head and sighed, eyes closing as he ran a hand down his face, "Oh, this isn't going to go over well with him."

"With who?"

"My Dean," Cas explained, his hands finding their way into his pockets. "We've been dealing with a bit of a situation lately, you came at a bad time."

"That's probably why we're here." Dean sloshed out of the creek, Jet right behind him. "Kind of like a clean up crew."

"Explain." Cas furrowed his brow; his attention caught now, curiosity piqued.

"See uh… it's this thing called the void," Dean lifted his hands to try and emphasize what he was saying, "It's this big open space with monsters and those monsters are getting into worlds and-"

"Dude, you suck at this." Jet snorted.

"Shut up man, this is my first time trying to explain it." Dean snapped back, feeling a little self-conscious.

"So this void, all these different worlds are floating in it and monsters are starting to migrate into them. Am I getting that part right?" Cas would be lying if he said he wasn't entirely amused with this Dean's dynamic with his friend.

"Yeah, pretty much." The new high priest smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. The way this Castiel smiled was somehow captivating. Dean found he couldn't look away from it. Was this what it looked like when he smiled?

"I think I got it." Cas rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, not unlike the priest had done before they'd entered the portal in the first place.

"You took that well," Jet made a face, looking Cas up and down to size him up. "Not surprised?"

"Didn't you hear me ask what time he was from? I've done some time and space hopping myself." He started back toward the settlement, motioning for them to follow, "And I'm not what I appear to be," he looked back with a wink, "Used to be an angel, you know."

Dean and Jet paused and looked at one another, neither one hundred percent certain they believed him and yet they couldn't find a way to disbelieve him either. Jet looked around the immediate area and furrowed his brow, "Uh… were there two others that fell too?"

"No, just you guys."

The two travellers shared another look, this time a little more anxious. "So, then where the hell did they end up?" Dean muttered, the worry seeping through his exterior.

"Cool it man, he's with Cas, he'll be fine." Jet went for reassuring instead of panicky.

Cas glanced at them again, "Come on, gentlemen. I don't have all day."

"What are you even doing?" Dean asked, finding it too easy to be grumpy now that he realized he didn't know where his brother had gone.

"I'm going to get you guys dried off, what do you think I'm doing? So come on, or don't. I don't really care."

Dean watched Castiel walk away; starting to notice the differences between him and the high priest that Dean had come to know. His hair was messier, his clothes were shabby at best, and his posture was slouched and far more relaxed. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about it just yet, or about the entire situation. They'd been having problems in this world, so Cas said anyway. But Dean couldn't see anything going on, granted there weren't a lot of people out either.

"So who are you looking for?" Cas asked once they'd reached his place, walking out of his shoes and gesturing for them to do the same.

"My brother and partner," Dean explained without really thinking.

Cas paused and looked at him curiously, "Brother? As in… Sam?"

"Yeah, you know Sam too?" Dean lit up, hoping maybe Cas had actually seen someone. Maybe Sam and his Castiel had shown up in a strange time loop or something. He had no idea how these things worked so he figured he could get his hopes up over just about anything.

"You could say that… the Dean that lives here also had a little brother named Sam." Cas looked away and sat down on the couch, stretching his legs a bit as he did so.

"What do you mean by 'had'?" Dean's expression darkened, not wanting the thought to really take hold.

"Exactly what it sounds like, my Dean lost his little brother, we all did."

"What got him?" Jet asked quietly, kicking his shoes off next to Dean's.

"Satan." Cas said simply and the thought of it nearly made his guests laugh. "Don't giggle, I'm serious. He was Lucifer's vessel and now he's locked in hell. This 'world' I guess you could call it, went through the biblical apocalypse."

Dean snickered, "Sorry, sorry. It's just… What's Satan doing in my brother?"

"Better question," Cas looked at him, "What's my Dean going to do if he sees his dead brother walking around again?"

Dean swallowed thickly, "He… wouldn't hurt Sammy."

"You don't know that." Cas ran a hand up into his hair tiredly, "But you're probably right. Nothing to really worry about so sit down, relax a bit."

"Yeah… nothing to worry about." Dean tried to wrap his mind around the last twenty minutes of his life. Last thing before falling out of the portal was being thrown through air, completely out of his element and ready to puke. He should have held onto Sam's hand. He _knew_ he should have held onto Sam, he knew it. But damn him, when did he ever listen to himself?


	12. Back to the Future: Raptoribus

**Back to the Future World: Part 2**

The wind rushed past his face and for a brief moment everything felt normal. Or, at least that was until he felt a hand grasping at his arm. Castiel turned his head to see Sam's wide-eyed expression, the entire experience was new and exhilarating and the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. Cas couldn't really be upset that Sam had held onto him, especially not after they landed. Castiel touched ground easily, his passing through the portal elegant and graceful, like he'd done it a thousand times, because really, he probably had. When he looked up he realized that it was just he and Sam, Dean and Jet had somehow been misplaced.

Castiel snapped his head around, taking in the scenery until he was certain there was nothing. It was night, the buildings around them were empty, the streets were unlit, nothing seemed to be moving but them.

"Son of a bitch..." He growled out. How could that have happened? He went in first, Jet next, and then Sam. He'd had to go back and drag Dean through but he'd let go right after, was that when? Passing through to a new world wasn't the same with others as when he was alone, though how could he know that? Cas had never done it alone before, though He'd noticed the difference. Normally when he passed through to a world he was there immediately, not this time. The transportation didn't work unless both partners had passed. That was good to know, though now he had an idiot to find. Stupid time and space dimensional crap.

"Dean?" Sam called out, looking around as he wandered in the dark. They were in a city, technically, though it was definitely in ruins. Sam would have commented on how cool it was to be in some kind of ancient place but his mind was a little distracted looking for his brother. "Dean! Where'd you go?"

"He's not around here, Sam." Cas muttered, glancing toward several sets of headlights head right for them. "But it seems there's some civilization at least..."

"So what do we tell them?" Sam perked up, eyes focused on the blinding lights in the night. No wonder deer always stared, it was hard not to when everything was supposed to be pitch black. "Dimension travellers or-"

"Unless you have to explain it, don't bother." Cas stepped away from the vehicles' paths, figuring that if they passed right by he wouldn't want to be flattened. "You'd be surprised at how many people are okay with it, but the vast majority will think you're insane until you prove it."

Sam cringed at that, recalling the way he and Dean had reacted to Cas the first time. "I guess when you do this often enough you get bored of talking about it, huh?"

Cas opened his mouth to reply but decided against it and nodded instead, eyes fixed on the first armored vehicle that slowed near them and ultimately stopped. The door opened and a familiar body hopped out, the cold expression on his face was new but he couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. "Dean?" Sam's eyes lit up as he saw, relieved that they didn't have to look too hard and that Dean hadn't been injured in the short time they'd been there. "Hey, you-" Sam froze when a gun lifted toward him, the barrel aimed right for his head. "Dean?"

Castiel almost seemed to glide to Dean's side, his hand pushing the weapon down to angle it toward the ground and away from Sam. "I don't know who you think he is, but how about this time you ask questions before shooting?"

"He's dead," Dean growled, "You know that, Cas."

Cas didn't flinch, hesitate or cringe in any way. He stepped around to stand in front of Dean, expression stern, as he demanded eye contact. "Why is it that every Dean I meet seems to have half a brain?" he spat indignantly, this time getting the hunter's attention, "That is not the same Sam you know, I am not your Castiel." He spoke clearly to spell it out, "If you pay attention I think you can already tell." He glanced over at Sam who managed a 'I thought you said don't say' look despite his fear. Cas shrugged in return, "It was necessary."

Dean stared at him long and hard before looking up at Sam, the horror on the young man's face and his age to begin with were enough to tip him off. "Alright, you got my attention."

"Good." Cas relaxed his posture slightly, hand slipping away from his cloak. "There's another you around here and I need to find him."

Dean's eyes narrowed but he remained professional about it, "Well it seems like anything of any importance happens to me or my group so he's probably back at camp." He glanced over at Sam again, the look of anger and confusion starting to melt in a way that Cas recognized all too well. It was the look that took over once you realized that the person you used to care about was standing right in front of you again. Of course, they didn't know you and they weren't yours, but that didn't mean you couldn't appreciate the fact that they were breathing.

"Sounds solid enough," Sam wasn't sure he entirely believed this Dean but he saw no reason not to. Yeah, he was a little freaked out a gun had been pointed his way but that didn't mean he'd been shot and it didn't mean he should be upset. This Dean, though he wasn't technically _his_ brother, he was a brother of _a_ Sam, and that Sam had done something awful to deserve it. "So let's get going then, what are we waiting for?"

Dean frowned and glanced over at the other men who had accompanied him, their faces filled with shock at the sight of Sam Winchester; they knew the face of the devil when they saw it. "Before you guys start getting trigger happy, this is a different guy." Dean tried to explain as one of them turned to look at Cas.

"How did you get out here, Cas? You stayed behind this time."

"Just listen to your boss," Cas grumbled before heading toward Dean's vehicle. He knew that they weren't travelling ruined cities for fun and he'd be willing to bet anything that they were headed right for the problem that Cas and the others were there for. "I'm guessing you're in the middle of something, you can take us to your base once you're finished."

"Thanks, Cas." Dean looked grateful, a welcome difference on his sour face. Cas nodded and motioned for Sam to join him. The younger Winchester wasn't as keen on going with this mob of gun-wielding maniacs but he didn't see much other option. He passed Dean by, not missing the way he was being stared at as he pulled himself into Dean's truck. He had to get in first, Cas waited patiently for him by the door to ensure that either Sam had to sit in the middle or that Cas got a window seat. Either way it made Sam laugh a little.

The silence in the drive was mind numbing and really all Sam wanted to do was ask; ask about what the other Sam did, why Dean would want to ever harm his brother let alone kill him. Sam couldn't understand it; he'd just come from a situation where Dean would have done anything to save him, to keep him safe and unharmed. He couldn't picture Dean ever doing something like this, there had to be a good reason for it.

Cas on the other hand was focusing on the problem at hand. This world didn't open up to him until he had a partner so what did he need Dean for? He could only think of one thing; that there were alternate versions of them that would be run into and dealt with. Cas shuddered at the thought; it was jostling enough to run into Dean once, to take him with, but to run into him everywhere they went? A new Dean each time, a new story, and possibly a new Castiel to go with. He wasn't sure on that last one but regardless he wasn't sure he was ready for it. _'Too bad,'_ He told himself numbly, _'because it's happening and you don't have much of a say.'_

"So what'd he do?" Sam finally spat it out, breaking the silence and startling the two overly tough-acting men on either side of him.

"What'd who do?" Dean snapped, making a face at the curious expression Sam had aimed his way.

"The other Sam, what'd he do that would make you aim a gun at me?"

"First, I don't want to talk about it right now. Second, you should quit thinking about it. And third, shut up."

Cas' face tightened as he held back a snicker, looking strictly out the windshield as Sam frowned at him. "Don't laugh, Cas. He sounds a lot like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Castiel, still bemused by this Dean's attitude, raised an eyebrow back at the younger Winchester. His fingers tapped lightly on the top of his thigh to help pattern out his nerves and calm him down. It wasn't exactly working, his mind was still stuck on everything coming their way.

Sam shrugged and looked ahead again, deciding that now probably wasn't the best time to question anyway. The road was broken up, potholes, cracks, debris and rubble all around. It was a mess and all Sam could think happened was some kind of apocalypse. It was just like in all those post-apocalyptic books he'd ever read, or the movies, or plays or anything of the sort that he'd experienced. The main question though, was it zombies or something else? He couldn't tell, though the lack of rotting corpses on the ground might have been a good indicator. Maybe not zombies but something like them.

The truck slowed to a stop, Dean killed the engine and motioned for the other two to be silent. Castiel looked ahead at the barricaded bridge, blocking the monsters in question from sight. Though he couldn't see them he could feel it, whatever was hiding back there was definitely from the void. "Sam, you stay back." He whispered as he slowly climbed out, Dean's expression souring at his initiative.

"Hey," he snapped in a low hiss, climbing out of the truck and moving around to Castiel's side as he approached the bridge. "This is my operation, get your pale ass back in that truck."

Cas sharply turned his gaze onto Dean, his eyes a cold glint in the moonlight that reminded Dean of the lover he'd left back home. "This may be your current operation, Dean," he emphasized the name with a slight pause, more venom in his tone than Dean had expected, "but I've been on this mission longer than you have known about it and I'll be damned if I let you go in there alone. Do you even have a weapon that works?"

Dean opened his mouth to speak but didn't, instead he bit the inside of his cheek and looked back at the barricade without much of a word.

"I thought not." Cas reached behind himself and into the long ends of his cloak, his hand disappearing for a moment before pulling his weapon of choice.

"What is that? A combo-gun?" Dean tilted his head slightly to the side, reminiscent mimicry of someone he'd spent much time with.

"Basically, yes. A pernach mace and wheellock pistol, I can shoot and bludgeon." Cas explained briefly as he started walking again, each step starting to feel like it was thundering as he went. Evidently silence was a friend in this situation and he could imagine several creatures that would entice that sort of strategy. His heart felt like it was all too loud as it echoed in his ears, getting ready for the types of beasts he'd see. His fingers were crossed for something less horrifying than his mind was offering but then again, when did you ever get what you wished for?

He held his breath before leaning against the barricade and peering around it, his eyes focusing in the dark on the roaming almost shapeless forms. It was a massacre on the other side of the bridge, bodies strewn about like they were pieces of litter, scattered and decorating everything. The worst of it, and the most telling part, they were all skinned.

"Oh shit…" Cas breathed, his heart only getting louder.

Dean slipped beside him, close enough that they could feel the other's presence against their clothing. He leaned forward to peer around the barricade as well, his expression only becoming graver as he watched the ambling beasts. "That'd be them." He muttered under his breath, only loud enough for Castiel to hear. He looked at the high priest and was surprised to see the composed man's eyes wider than ever. He furrowed his brow and leaned closer, "Do you know something about these things?"

"More than you'd ever care to." Castiel started to move away, motioning for Dean to following him until they were safely next to the truck again. His voice still hushed, Cas turned a serious gaze on Dean, "Those things are known in the void as raptoribus."

"Like dinosaurs?" Dean scoffed.

"No," Cas' expression remained the same and it seemed like he'd either heard that one before or it just didn't faze him. "It's Latin, anyway they're not anything you want to play with. How many times have you gone at them? Have you managed to kill any?"

"We've been able to crush some but that's about it. And every time we have ever gone after them we've lost people, the first time was… let's just say it was ugly. I saw enough to know what you're getting at." Dean kept his tone down as well, both sounding like they were hissing from Sam's vantage.

"Okay, is there any way to figure out how many there are?" Sam was glad they'd moved back toward him, it gave him the option to join in again.

"The celestials tell me they've only managed to populate the city." Cas folded his arms over his chest and worried his bottom lip between his teeth. "Wherever Dean is he would have heard them too, so at least he knows to stay nearby."

"When'd they tell you this?" Neither Sam nor Dean bothered to address the fact that they'd asked at the same time, or that Dean had continued on with "What the hell are 'the celestials' anyway?"

"A moment ago, and they're none of your concern."

"Alright, so if we know they're in the city then we need to find a way to draw them in to the centre." Sam tried to get back on track, his eyes flicking up to Castiel's face to watch the different emotions move across it.

"Only with bait…" Cas murmured, the thought of that only forcing his expression to a dark place.

"Awesome…" Dean shook his head, "I've been there on that whole 'bait' thing before, I don't like where it goes, never ends well."

"I know, and with these things it'll only go worse than you'd expect."

"Then what?" Sam snapped quietly, "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"I need Dean," Cas admitted after a moment, "We can't take them on, not now. It'll only get your men killed."

Dean nodded as he watched the other vehicles idly waiting, knowing he couldn't risk any more of them than he already had. "Alright… then let's get a move on." He motioned for the retreat and felt a little bad when he saw no hesitation in their response. Maybe he'd been the only one that had thought it necessary to go.

As they piled back into the truck and made their escape Sam looked to Castiel earnestly, his eyes more understanding than anything else. "So, I know you said some worlds were blocked off to you before, but what makes you think you need Dean to handle those things?"

Castiel sighed lightly and leaned his head back in exhaustion, "There are more of them than I had expected, at least twenty. He's my partner and I can't do this alone, so I need him."

Sam smiled a little, earning him a frustrated look from the priest.

"What?"

"Nothing," Sam answered, looking ahead with a slight laugh, "It's just I'm kinda happy to hear you say you need him. Makes you a little more… approachable."

Cas didn't respond, instead turning his head to stare out the window. Why would it make someone happy to know he needed someone else?


	13. Back to the Future: Dean's 'Stick'

**Back to the Future World: Part 3**

Dean fidgeted with the hem of his sleeve, wondering why the shirt he'd gotten was so plaid and watching as Castiel made tea in the kitchen. He'd noticed that Cas didn't live alone; in fact he seemed downright homely at moments. "Who do you live with?" He asked nonchalantly, tapping his foot at the pair of shoes that clearly didn't belong to Castiel. They'd been given some free roaming time around the house after drying off and changing, allowed to explore as Cas readied their food.

"I mentioned it before didn't I?" Cas smiled again, it was one of the few things that made Dean's heart skip in his chest. "Dean lives here with me, he's my partner."

"Oh, cool. My partner's name is Cas too, weird coincidence."

"I don't think 'weird coincidence' is what's happening here, but see it as you wish." Cas checked the kettle to find it was still colder than room temperature, and placed it back where he'd picked it up from. "Dean is my _partner_, as in lover, boyfriend, soul mate, whatever you want to call it. He and I have been together for a long time and our bond runs deep. I'm not surprised to hear that your partner's name is Castiel."

Dean stared at him blankly, "You… and other me? Really?"

"What, you can't see it?"

"Weird." Jet piped into the conversation as he entered the room, his hands shoved into the deep pockets of his borrowed jeans. "I'm having a tough time picturing it, forget him."

Cas laughed softly and shrugged, "Doesn't matter, it's true. You'll probably see us kiss so do me a favour and don't freak out, he gets touchy sometimes."

"Right, I'll keep the freaking in." Jet gave a thumbs and moved to take a look around.

It was a little strange to see it, considering how Dean had come to know the tight-ass priest it was weird to see Castiel at all domesticated. Yeah okay, Cas had stayed in their home for a while but after seeing him fight, dealing with the combat experienced priest side of him, Dean had a hard time seeing him without a gun on hand. It was even stranger to think Cas was this way for another person, another _him_. Dean thought about it for a moment amused and imagining Cas in an apron making him dinner, at least until he spotted the multitude of guns on display in select locations of the house.

"Uh... those belong to your partner?" He asked tensely, daring to touch the very real side of a rifle. He hadn't handled firearms very often, at least nothing like what he was seeing now. Handguns? Sure. Rifles and shotguns? What reason would he have for owning one?

"Hm?" Cas looked up from the kettle he had perched over a small fire, mindlessly poking at the little flames to help them along. "Ah, some of them, yeah. We share most of them though a few we handle specially ourselves."

"Jeez," Jet whistled low as he wandered around the living room, eyes drifting over each weapon, even finding a few stashed in hide-away spaces. "You guys are definitely ready for something..."

"Not nearly enough, it seems." Cas chuckled and drummed his fingers on the top of his thigh, watching the water passively. "When those monsters showed up we didn't know what to do, lost at least half of the people we'd managed to save. And the damn things wouldn't go down. We killed a few, I think by a freak accident but hey, let's not knock a victory."

"Can you tell us what they do?" Dean sat down next to the not-human human, watching the tired man poke at the flames. He waited for a few seconds; not liking the way Castiel grimaced at the recollection. Nothing was said for a long moment, which he was somewhat grateful for because he was starting to hear something. The world around him seemed to mute itself, even slow down entirely as a voice echoed into his mind.

_'The creatures you oppose are all located within the city.'_

Dean blinked several times, time speeding up again and he almost freaked out on the spot except the voice was somewhat familiar. It was the celestial he'd spoken to while in heaven. It seemed so weird to hear it now, in a somewhat normal setting. He considered mentioning the news to them, but he decided against looking crazy and talking about the voices in his head. "Cas?" he nudged the dark-haired man, hoping to get back on track about the monsters.

"It's hard to say what they do," Cas finally answered. "They're large, shambling things." _'They're twice my size.'_ His mind filled in the blanks his mouth refused to say, the fear slipping into his memory with every image his mind withheld. "They're fast." _'Faster than I am. I can't run away.'_ "And strong; when they catch you, and they _will_ catch you, you're dead." _'Skinned alive and left to wait for it. Half squeezed like a tube of paste. Everything done to your body in the meantime. Eaten afterward.'_ He shuddered and looked away, his stomach flip-flopping in place. "I've seen it. All of it. Before they kill you they do everything they can to destroy you, mentally, physically, everything. If you can imagine it I'm sure they've done it."

Jet made a face and tried to shrug it off though clearly it was making him feel ill. Dean furrowed his brow, trying not to imagine anything though several images came to mind. "Oh..."

"Yes," Cas looked up miserably, "So don't let them catch you."

"Noted, thanks." Dean nodded and looked at the cups that Castiel began to fill with water, the tea bags resting inside. "So I'm guessing it's pretty awful if someone, an angel, from the apocalypse thinks it's bad."

A bitter laugh escaped Castiel before he handed out the cups, placing Dean's in front of him, "Yeah. Well no matter how jaded you are it still won't let you sleep at night. I never used to sleep so I'm not used to the nightmares it comes with."

Dean and Jet both nodded quietly at that, it made sense to an extent. "Sorry to hear that. Wish I could say it gets better."

"It does," The way Castiel smiled then only confused the two sitting across from him, the warmth in his face radiating like he knew something they never could. "It gets better, you just have to see it right."

"Thanks," Jet scoffed with a roll of his eyes, "I'll be sure to pack that tidbit of knowledge away."

"See that you do." Cas winked at him playfully and turned his attention to his tea.

It was only an hour later that the front door swung open and the sound of three separate footsteps entered, "Cas?" A gruff voice called into the house, one that the ex-angel recognized all too well.

"In here, Dean." He answered, slowly pulling himself to his feet to greet his boyfriend, "You're back early, did something go wrong?"

"Not quite," The hunter replied softly, seemingly relieved to find his Cas where he was supposed to be. "Some people showed up, one of them looks like-"

"Like me," Cas finished his sentence as he peered around him, looking at the priest's stern expression. "You remind me of an angel I met once, a long time ago. Very uptight."

The priest furrowed his brow but decided not to reply directly, "I'm sure they've explained this to you already," he started to explain but his counterpart lifted a hand to stop him.

"I know, I know. The one thing I'm concerned with right now is who replies to what name? Did you want to go by Castiel and I'll just listen when someone says Cas?" Cas smiled, a charming glint in his eyes.

"Uhm... not really the time, is it?" Sam piped in, walking around the small gathering to get closer to his brother, nodding in Dean's direction to acknowledge his presence. The last thing he wanted was a 'you didn't come say hi after we were separated' spat. "Cas, you said we need to bait those things right? So let's get planning. We can't just sit and talk about the fact that there are two Dean's and two Cas'."

Both Dean's looked at one another, each giving a quick once over to see what his competition was. The hunter rolled his eyes and looked back over at his Castiel, "They have weapons and the ability to kill these things with less drastic measures than we've had to pull off, I suggest we plan this out together."

"Agreed," the shabbier Cas smiled and went to his lover's side, lacing their hands together and leaning up to kiss him tenderly. "I'm glad to see you made it home safe."

Dean's rough exterior finally broke into a smile and he returned the gesture just as sweetly, reaching up to touch his boy's face and run a hand back through his hair.

The two priests looked toward one another, Dean quickly looking away and muttering 'awkward' under his breath while Castiel inhaled past the pain in his chest and did his utmost to ignore it. "Dean," he said after a moment, "I'll need to speak with you before we do this." He cringed a little at the way he'd sounded when he asked, the slight crack in his usual unfazed attitude sounded louder in his ears than he'd ever meant it to. Dean wasn't supposed to know anything bothered him, especially these kinds of things.

His partner looked back at him, green eyes narrowing for a second, "Alright," Dean glanced over at Sam to see if maybe he'd heard it too, noting the concern written on his brother's face as a yes. "Well let's go talk."

"Do you need us?" Jet asked, glancing between the two priests eagerly like he'd been bored out of his mind and might be able to get to do something. Castiel, of course, shot him down fairly quickly.

"No, just Dean." He motioned for his Dean to follow as he stepped back out the door, his partner in tow.

"What's up Cas?" Dean folded his arms over his chest, thinking maybe he'd get an answer about the other man's strange behaviours.

"Have you discovered your weapon yet?" Castiel looked at him earnestly, "Or perhaps discovered any abilities while we've been separated?"

"No..." Dean trailed off as he watched the anxious look dart across Castiel's face, "Cas, calm down. What are we dealing with that you're actually panicking?"

"I'm not panicking, per se." He ran a hand up his forehead and into his hair, "It's... there's quite a few monsters we have to deal with, I'm sure you've heard."

"Yeah but I don't know what they do, what's the big deal?" Dean knew to an extent what the other Cas had told them but he didn't have the knowledge that his partner Castiel had, maybe there was more to them.

"They're raptoribus," Cas lifted his hand to halt Dean's next question, "No, not like the dinosaur. And extremely dangerous. Did the other Castiel tell you anything that they know?"

"Just that they're dangerous, basically. They chase you down and if they catch you you're dead." Dean shrugged, "Kinda figured it was like anything else we're gonna face. You _have _fought stuff like this, right?"

"I've faced nearly everything the void has to offer, Dean. Of course I've fought raptorbus before, but that doesn't make it easy. Each one is powerful, strong enough to crack you like an egg if it wanted to. They have a tendency to do things to the body once they've caught their victim."

"Like what?" Dean had heard this much, he could see in Castiel's face that he knew more.

"Like skin you alive, for one. That's one of the more painful tasks, I think. Though I've never experienced it so I can't say." Cas chewed on the inside of his cheek briefly, eyes shifted over to the other cabins spotted around land. Dean stared at him, waiting for more of an answer and Castiel knew it. "I know you think that these things must have some kind of complicated purpose, Dean, but not everything has a quirk you can count on like the demoni possessing someone. They just want you dead, that's all." Cas looked back at him, eyes dark and shadowed.

Dean looked away from Castiel's gaze; feeling like it was boring in to him. He wished he knew why Castiel managed to get under his skin so fast, how he managed to send a chill down his spine without even really trying. The silence between them started to eat away at his nerves and Dean decided to change the subject. "So... what kind of weapon do I get? One like yours?"

"It's up to you, really. But whatever you create first it'll be your primary weapon for the rest of time." Cas took a few steps closer, their bodies nearly flush together as his hands slipped beneath the back of Dean's coat. Dean swallowed thickly but didn't protest, eyes fixed on Castiel's calm expression as a ton of questions flashed across his mind. This wasn't exactly what he was expecting, not that he'd been expecting anything at all.

"Uh... Cas?" He stammered briefly, watching blue eyes as they focused behind him. Dean tried to do something to ignore the fact that his throat was stiff and tongue felt numb, wetting his lips and tilting his head backward. He could smell Cas, a subtle scent of cologne and what could only come from someone who worked his body to the bone. Dean blinked a few times when Castiel looked up at him, a little smirk on those surprisingly soft looking lips.

"You haven't noticed?" Cas remarked with a hint of a laugh in his voice. Dean felt his face light up when realized that Cas wasn't really touching him, he'd just stood there.

"What?" He looked back to see that Castiel's hands were pushed behind him, into the back of his coat but not making a single fold in the fabric.

"Your coat is similar to the gates that we pass through," Castiel explained, stepping away again and steeling his eyes once again, ignoring the ache in his chest. "It's a special space for us, to store our belongings and keep things safe. When you reach inside, imagine your weapon, what you want it to be able to do, what you need it to do, and pull it out of that space."

"This is," Dean reached back, his eyes widening as he watched his hand disappear, "probably the weirdest thing I've ever heard of."

"Get used to it." Cas chuckled and crossed his arms pointedly. "Just get on with it."

"Give me a sec, I'm thinking." Dean muttered back, focusing on his hand and his weapon of choice. A number of things went through his mind as he thought about what he wanted Castiel's head tilted a little to watch. Clearly the badass priest wasn't above looking curious once in a while. If Dean hadn't been in the middle of something important he may have paid more attention to the little quirks that Castiel portrayed, though he knew that if he did then his gun or whatever would come out looking like Cas somehow. He just knew it.

No pressure, this was just the weapon he might end up using until the end of time, something he'd be known for. What would be cool? More importantly, what could be useful? He wanted to know what Castiel thought of before choosing his, why he'd combined a Pernach pistol with a mace in the first place. Obviously because close range was just as important as long range, the weapon wasn't for looking cool it was for being used. It was his tool and would become part of him; the only question was what did he want? A sharp bludgeoning weapon made sense, but Castiel was his partner and wielded a weapon that was capable of that, Dean didn't need to mimic it. He needed something to compliment Cas' choice, what would compliment a tool like a mace? A sword came to mind, but it wouldn't be long-range.

Dean's concentration had tuned Castiel out entirely, the darker haired male had made a few attempts to hurry Dean along but nothing seemed to get through. Cas smiled a little, surprised but glad to see how seriously Dean was taking this decision. He could already tell that Dean wouldn't let the limits of reality alter his decision; he'd come up with something helpful.

Finally Dean pulled his hand out, a silver stick in his palm to show the fruit of his efforts. Castiel bristled but didn't openly judge by the immediate impression, "Uh…" Cas managed to say, his eyes moving from the stick to Dean's face, "What's… that?"

Dean smiled, watching some designs burn their way across the surface of his tool, the same ones that decorated Castiel's gun. "It's a combination weapon, like yours. Just easier to hold onto and more compact."

"Explain before I hit you with the sharp end of my gun." Castiel sad flatly, evidently unimpressed with Dean's 'stick'.

"Well I was thinking so hard of weapons for fighting, like machine guns or swords and I kept going to war movies, westerns, and Medieval times kinda stuff. I realized that I totally ruled out sci-fi and fantasy things. So this is what I came up with." He lifted the tool up and Cas watched as parts of it unhinged and slid like a puzzle, shifting and altering the shape entirely until it looked like the hilt of a sword. Castiel leaned back a little, admittedly surprised when a blade shot out of the end.

"You…" Cas muttered, shock in his voice and a growing wonder in his eyes. "What else can it do?"

"Well it can be different kinds of swords," Dean said as the hilt changed and the blade morphed its shape, "Whatever I want it to be. I figured that since this is going to be _my_ weapon for eternity, it's going to be something I'm known for but more importantly it'll be part of me. Then it came to me; why not actually keep it connected? Like the feeling when I was making it, it knew my thoughts and changed each time I pictured something different, so I figured it'd be perfect for it to keep that connection. I can have a gun like yours," his weapon seemed to snap into place, looking almost identical to Castiel's aside from the silver colour, "Or whatever I want. Cool, huh?"

Castiel stared at the weapon then back at Dean and nearly lost his breath. The bright smile that greeted him threw him, he hadn't been ready for it and all he could remember for a split second was the smiling face he'd used to wake up to. _'That was ages ago, get ahold of yourself Castiel.'_ He scolded himself as he steeled his expression and nodded, "Nicely done, now we need a plan of attack."

"Machine gun." Dean grinned even wider, not fazed by Castiel's lack of enthusiasm for his ability to make cool things with his mind. "I set it up and we blast the bastards."

"Right, but we still need the bait." Cas frowned, and looked over at the cabin their counterparts were in. "We have to lure them down there and again, it'd bee too late for the humans by the time all the raptoribus were in range. Whoever we use will die."

"What if we just go after them one by one?" Dean argued as he moved into Castiel's line of sight again. "There are a bunch of those things together though not all of them. While we're running around killing them, making a lot of noise, the others will sniff us out and come to play. _We'll_ be the bait and the trap those bastards fall into at the same time."

Castiel looked back and forth between Dean's eyes, everything he knew about raptoribus telling him to find the easiest and most distant way to kill them. But looking at Dean, hearing him and his plan, it was hard to ignore the feeling. _Trust your partner._ Something in him wouldn't let the thought go. "You're insane." He finally said after a long pause of staring at one another, those long gazes between them would be the death of him. "But fine. We'll tell the others, I suggest leaving a bomb or two for them to set off in case we aren't enough. If we're the bait and we can't fight them all, at least we'll be able to play the bait in plan B."

"Fine, but we won't need the bombs." Dean smirked. "Come on, let's get the others cued in on this and head out."

Cas sighed lightly and followed Dean back to the cabin, "You're still insane."

"And you like me anyway." Dean chuckled in return, not turning around and completely missing the lost stare that Castiel couldn't help but leave on him.


	14. Back to the Future: The Fight

**Back to the Future World: Part 4**

"This is crazy," the ex-angel muttered under his breath, peering around a barricade with a specialized grenade gripped tightly in his hand. The two priests had created a few weapons for the rest to throw just in case, though they couldn't make that many. Cas swallowed nervously and looked up at his Dean, the hunter looking as serious as ever. They'd been through so much together already and this was just another bit of hell to add to the whole mess. He wondered if they'd ever get a peaceful few days to relax together, no worries on their plates. "You think we'll make it this time?" He asked softly, a small laugh in his throat to hide the fear he was squashing.

Dean looked down at him and nodded, "Of course, Cas. We always do." His smile was reassuring though Cas couldn't shake the feeling bubbling in him. He'd seen what those monsters could do; two men were about to go up against all of them, alone. How the hell was he supposed to believe they'd be alright? In fact, the commotion would draw the rest of the monsters closer, none of them knew which direction the things would be coming from so who was to say that they were safe hiding behind a barricade?

"Calm down, babe." Dean whispered, touching Cas' cheek gently to get his attention again, "It'll be fine, I promise."

Sam couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips, watching two people -who looked just like the ones he knew but weren't actually them- be so tender with one another was the cutest thing he'd seen. It was enough to get him curious, was this what Dean was like? Was Dean that sweet on Cas? Or could he possibly be? He glanced at Jet to see the man's face was just as tight and nervous as any of the other men in the area. "Jet?" Sam nudged him, receiving a softened look in return. "You scared?"

Jet smirked and looked back out at where his best friend was about to wander into a death trap, "Nah," he scoffed lightly, "Not for me, anyway."

Sam nodded and looked out anxiously as well. "It'll be fine…" He muttered, fingers tightening around the grenade given to him. _'Dean knows what he's doing… I think.'_

Further away, Dean and Castiel maneuvered around some debris, inching closer and closer to the masses of raptoribus roaming the bridge. Castiel looked at Dean thoughtfully as he raised his gun, slipping past a broken down vehicle without a sound.

Dean exhaled slowly and followed, a machine gun forming in his hands as he readied himself. He'd set it up for unlimited ammo and constant fire; the bullets were made specifically for the monsters of the void so even if he hit Cas his partner would be fine. _'I should make a bomb like that too, come to think of it.'_ He thought to himself as they closed in on the first beast. Luckily it seemed to be pretty dense so they managed to get fairly close.

It was a sensitive moment, Castiel could smell the monster as it loomed ahead of him and knew that the slightest sound he made would alert it. _'Be ready.'_ He told himself, recalling each moment he'd ever fought one of these. They weren't too hard when there was just one, keep your eye on it and don't let it get you. But there were so many now, he wouldn't be able to watch his back for others, he'd have to count on Dean. And in turn, he'd have to take care of his partner. A calm and carefully silent exhale from his nose helped him relax his arms as he propped his pernach up, aimed right for the beast's head. _'First shot has to kill it or things will be messier still.'_

Dean watched Castiel's form; slender and almost delicate as he stepped around anything that'd make a sound, gun aimed and steady. The following seconds felt like they dragged on forever as Castiel shot off the first round, the sound ringing in the air like a cannon had gone off, a light puff of smoke from his barrel and barely even a slight movement in his body. Castiel stared at the raptoribus as it slipped down to the ground, unmoving, lifeless, and suddenly not worth his attention. Both snapped their gazes up to see the glowering eyes angled their way.

_**"NOW!"**_ Castiel shouted as he started firing as fast as he could, beginning to move, running from the raptoribus' immediate line of sight and to find higher ground. Dean had perched himself on top of an abandoned bus and started to fire at will, the rounds of bullets slamming into each monster and sending them to their knees just as fast as Castiel had brought down the first one.

Behind the barricade Sam tensed and stood to look at the carnage on the bridge, at Dean's planted position and the smaller figure that seemed to be moving at uncanny speeds. "Holy shit." Sam muttered at the sight that raged to life right in front of him; heavy bodies hitting the pavement with what looked like a massive amount of force, all sounds washed away with the repeating volume of Dean's gunfire, and the little bursts of light that erupted from Castiel's ever moving position. "They're actually doing it."

"They've just started," Cas leaned over to look, his anxiety lessening as he watched, "But you're right, they're doing very well. Better than I'd have thought."

"Doesn't mean it'll be so easy for us," Dean grunted as his attention was caught, the rumbling sounds in the distance getting closer and closer to them. "We've got company." He growled out as he ducked down, "Everybody quiet and keep low."

They did as they were told, watching as more of the beasts burst out of buildings and bolted down the streets. All seemed to be heading in the same direction, right for the gunfire on the bridge. None seemed to notice the small assault team waiting in the wings, luckily for them. Sam breathed out shakily as the raptoribus seemed to pass, peering around again to see if Dean was alright. The shots from his machine gun rained down on their opponents like fire, shifting to catch the strays and snapping around to destroy the new comers. Sam smiled a little, glad that Dean wasn't totally oblivious to it.

"So does instinct come with the priest package?" Jet chuckled, "I didn't know he knew how to handle a machine gun, let alone have any kind of sense in a fight."

Down on the bridge Dean felt like time had slowed down, each movement felt sluggish and he was starting to notice an anxiety. He couldn't see Castiel anymore though he'd caught a glimpse of a small gathering of raptoribus, all in a circle like they were looking at something precious. He had a feeling that his partner was in the centre of it all but he couldn't find a second to run down and check.

"Cas!" he shouted over the roar of his weapon, his heartbeat seeming to catch up with the speed of his firing. "Cas are you alright?" He couldn't hear an answer even if Cas had managed to scream, everything was too loud. All he could do was continue his onslaught and pray that Castiel was okay.

A moment passed, what felt like hours, and Dean felt a shift below him like the bridge was quaking beneath his feet. It vanished just as quickly as it had come but it happened again, and again until it was a pounding rhythm that sent small chills down his spine. Dean looked up to see that each raptoribus had stopped, all heads turned toward the massive group that had gathered, none moving. He stopped firing and looked toward the circle, wondering what could possibly make these things slow their pace like this. His limbs felt heavy when he saw the glow seeping out from between the limbs blocking its way. The light only brightened the more the seconds ticked by, Dean's heart leapt to his throat as a blast wave rolled across the bridge, his arms coming up to shield himself from it. He couldn't think of anything else to do, if harm was coming his way this was his best defense.

Dean knew immediately when his feet were no longer beneath him, the rush of air sweeping him off the top of the bus and sending him to the ground. He gasped as his breath escaped his lungs, a sharp pain shooting up his spine from his tailbone. For a second everything seemed to be in a whirlwind of light and a torrent of wind, Dean thought for a moment he was tumbling along the pavement but realized it was just his head spinning. He forced himself up again, pushing past the trembling ground and crawling onto the bus again. He stared out over the bridge, this time seeing the cause of the problem. Castiel was surrounded by a bright light as he practically mowed down the startled monsters. His movement looked more like flying, a swift glide across and over the debris around him. He was wielding his gun as a mace instead and with each clubbing motion a shockwave leveled the nearby raptoribus. Dean was in awe as he watched his partner go berserk, but mostly he was surprised at how beautiful it was. Even as Castiel slaughtered those things, blood and gore splattering all over, it looked peaceful and smooth.

"If he could do that why didn't he start with it?" Jet shouted, pointing somewhat dramatically.

"There's probably a cost." Cas furrowed his brow, "Looks like it's too high powered to just use willy nilly."

"Regardless it's working," Dean nearly laughed, watching the spectacle unfold. "He's not only massacring the ones that are already there but he's drawing the rest closer indefinitely. I can't believe I'm seeing this."

Sam nodded slowly but he had a bad feeling, he glanced over at the fallen angel who seemed to share his sentiment; if there was a cost to this it wouldn't be small.

Everything started coming to close after several minutes of non-stop destruction. Castiel looked around and upon sensing no remaining hostility, his glow flickered and faded. Dean hopped off the bus and slipped his weapon into his coat, running across the distance between them. "Cas, you tank! How did you do that?" He laughed though it didn't remain cheerful, slipping into a nervous chuckle as he reached his partner's side. "Cas?"

Castiel remained still for several moments before he staggered forward and promptly fell. Dean caught him and fumbled him a little, managing to hold Cas to his chest as he lowered to the ground with him. "Cas! Hey man, don't do this, wake up." He shook Castiel's limp form gently, "C'mon, look at me."

There was a slight twitch in Castiel's facial muscles, his eye lids shifting and slowly lifting up. "Mmm..." He groaned softly, trying to see Dean's face. "D...ean?" he mumbled, eyes unfocused and wet.

"Yeah Cas, it's me." Dean smiled down at him, relief clear in his eyes even though he knew that Cas wasn't quite with it just yet.

Castiel laughed quietly, the sound breaking into a subtle sobbing as his hand touched Dean's arm. "I missed you." he whispered, eyes closing again as his head rested back heavily in Dean's embrace.

"Missed me?" Dean nudged Castiel's head up, "Cas? What do you mean?" Even though his partner didn't answer for the moment, Dean was still relieved. Castiel was alive so it would be okay yet, even if he was unconscious.

"Dean!" Sam's voice broke Dean's concentration like the crack of a whip, he looked up to see his little brother standing over him. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah," He looked down at Castiel's face, reaching up and rubbing tears off Cas' cheek gently with his thumb, "I think so…"

"Let's get him home." The other Dean approached as well, his gaze looking torn up, like he'd just watched his Castiel collapse. "We'll take care of him back there."

Cas and Jet followed suit, both glancing around for any other monsters, just in case. "I think he's just tired," Cas smiled as he leaned over, nudging his counterpart playfully. "Though I wish I knew why he was crying."

"Yeah," Dean held him a little closer, his eyes narrowing as he continued to watch his partner's face, catching an escaped tear every now and then. "Me too…"

"So we done here?" Jet leaned over and started to help Dean up, supporting him until he could stand properly with Castiel in his arms.

"Guess so," Dean adjusted Castiel a little better, smiling sadly when he felt the tickle of soft dark hair against his neck. "I want to wait until he wakes up though, before we move on."

"I think _sleep_ is a good idea." Sam groaned, rubbing his eyes, "We haven't yet and I'm exhausted."

"I'm with Sam," Jet yawned and followed the others toward their get-away vehicles. "Sleep sounds amazing."

Dean wasn't sure he'd be able to but he smiled and nodded anyway, curling Castiel against his chest and squeezing him. "I've got you, Cas." He whispered softly enough that no one else could have heard him.

* * *

"_Hey Cas?"_

_That voice again. "Dean?" Castiel muttered tiredly, his eyelids feeling too heavy to move. He knew this nightmare, he would hear Dean's voice saying 'look at me' and he would always look to see a rotting face. "Baby, I saw you today." Cas smiled a little, keeping himself positive. "I saw you."_

"_Would you look at me?"_

_Castiel looked up, the tears waiting to fall as he did, that lump in his throat stopping him from swallowing properly. He sobbed quietly and reached up to touch the cold face again, "I saw you, baby."_

"Cas?"

"Hm?" Cas flinched a little when he realized his eyes were still closed, forcing them open again past the heaviness. He looked up at Dean, completely awestruck at first until he remembered where he was. "What is it?"

Dean smiled brightly, "You're up, I'm glad. I thought –well we were all worried."

"Why?" Castiel slowly pushed himself up, cringing slightly at the pull in his limbs. His eyes widened when the memory struck him, "Holy shit, did it work?" He spun on Dean excitedly; blue eyes wide and a firm hand Dean's forearm as some sort of anchor.

Dean almost laughed, lowering Castiel in the bed again he forced him to relax. "Yeah, you did it Cas, I don't know what you did but you destroyed those things almost single-handedly." Dean watched Castiel as he leaned back again, eyes distant as he tried to recall it. "What did you do?"

"I…" Cas muttered as he shook his head slowly, "It's a spell I hadn't tried, I combined one of my more powerful ones with a body enhancement; on top of that I attached a weapon advance to my pistol."

"Sounds crazy… Why'd you do it? Not that it wasn't awesome or anything."

"I was…" Cas closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, "I couldn't get away and they were surrounding me. I panicked a little when you couldn't hear me."

Dean flinched and looked away, his expression looking torn and distraught, "I'm… I'm sorry Cas, you almost got killed out there because of me." His lip pulled up in a snarl, his hands tightened into fists as he pictured it. "You've been doing this forever and now suddenly you end up almost dying all the time, and it's because of me."

"Dean," Castiel surprised himself with how soft his own voice came across, "Calm down, it's not like that. The worlds wouldn't open to just me, there are greater challenges ahead and puzzles that I wouldn't be able to do on my own. If you aren't with me I can't keep going, so shut up and calm down."

Dean looked at him and for a moment it was just the two of them in that room. One smiled and the other returned it fully; maybe they'd be decent partners after all.

"Hey," The door opened and the other Cas peered inside, his messy hair in tangles and stubble threatening to turn into a full-on beard. He smiled brightly when he saw his own face staring back at him, "You're up! See? I told you he'd be up, I was only off by a day or two."

Dean chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, you were close. He's alright, I suppose we'll be heading out soon."

Cas leaned against the doorframe and nodded, eyeing his priest counterpart carefully. "He looks a lot better at least. You sure you're ready to head out? He just woke up."

"We're ready." Castiel replied as he started to climb out of the not-so comfy bed. "If I've been out for a few days it's been too long."

"You seem to end up there a lot, actually." Dean smirked, "I mean, you know how you ended up crashing in my room for a while and everything."

"Shut up, that was for entirely different reasons and you know it." Castiel shoved him, though it was more playful than hurtful for once.

"So you are leaving," The ex-angel walked over and gave them each a hug, "I was hoping you'd stay for a little fun but I guess not." He smiled as he leaned away from Dean, lifting his hand and rubbing at the slight blush on his cheeks.

"What fun?" Dean stuttered, glancing up at his partner who only rolled his eyes in return.

"Well I thought a foursome might be fun," Cas glanced over at his injured counterpart for a second before looking back at Dean's bewildered face, trailing a finger down his chest, "You know, you, your partner, my Dean and myself. I already asked and Dean said it was okay with him-"

"Yeah I got it." Dean stepped away and headed for the door pretty quick after that, "I'm good thanks."

Cas pouted and shrugged, "Can't win 'em all."

"Certainly not." The priest replied as he followed Dean out, keeping his laughter to himself.

"Sam! Jet! Get ready, we're leaving." Dean shouted across the cabin, hurrying over to his shoes at the front door. He glanced at his body double for a moment, the hunter relaxing by the kitchen table with a knowing grin on his face. "You really okay'ed that?"

"Yeah, why not? Cas is actually pretty good in orgies."

"Not even going to look at you." Dean finished lacing his boots and hurried out the door, waiting until the others joined him.

The ex-angel and his hunter stood in the doorway of their home, watching the group of four squabble a bit about Castiel's health and whether or not they should be resting longer. Cas chuckled softly and leaned against his Dean, "I'm glad that the rest of the universe's existence doesn't depend on us for once."

"Tell me about it." Dean kissed his cheek before whistling at the dimension travelling team, "Hey!"

All four turned their attention his way, Castiel having just opened the new portal and holding it that way. "What's up?"

"We just wanted to thank you," Cas smiled at them, "For everything, really. You saved us."

"No problem, just doing our job." Dean grinned and gave a quick bow of his head, not realizing it had been at the same time that Castiel had done the exact same.

Cas snickered and waved them off, "Get out of here, you guys have a lot to learn."

Before anyone had a chance to answer Castiel shoved them through the portal, giving a quick wave in return before disappearing as well.

Cas sighed and kissed his lover slowly, giggling a little when Dean lifted him up and bit down his neck. "So if they fail?" He asked calmly, as if he were asking about the weather.

"Then we're toast." Dean replied in the same tone, even sounding a little joyful.

"Feels weird for it to be on someone else's shoulders, but it gives us a chance to do other things."

"Like?"

"Like… what would you do if this was your last night alive?" Cas slid a finger along Dean's jaw, a shiver running down his spine at the look he'd been given for such a question.

"You, all night long." Dean growled low as he continued showering Cas with affectionate kisses and nips.

"Prove it."

"You got it, baby."


	15. Small Problem World: Crush-Worthy

**The Mainline**

"Alright new plan," Sam looked at the others as they walked down the mainline, Castiel leading the way like there had been nothing wrong with him an hour before. "Last time when we jumped through we were all separated, I think we should hold hands."

"Really?" Jet raised an eyebrow, "We found each other, didn't we? Come on."

"I'm serious, we need to stick together to handle these things and take them out as fast as possible. People are dying out there, Jet. We can't waste our time trying figure out where the others fell." Sam argued, looking to Castiel for some back up.

"Sam's not wrong," Cas conceded though his expression told more than he'd said, like he had more to say though wasn't sure how to put it. Re-wording things was pretty key when staying on Sam's good side. Cas used to be good friends with Sam, or the one that he'd known a long time ago, anyway, and he wanted to get there again. Sam had been (and still seemed to be) an amazing person to know, so Cas found a better way to say what he'd wanted to outright deny. "Though there's no telling what it'll be like when we go through again. There might not be a given pattern; just because we hold hands and stay linked doesn't necessarily mean we'll be together."

"It's worth a shot," Sam insisted, nudging at Cas' side and staring at him earnestly.

"Yeah, might as well give it a try." Dean agreed, catching up to Castiel's other side.

Cas was quiet for a long moment before he addressed them again, "Alright, fine. But the portal doesn't work until both priests are in so I'd suggest one of us taking up the rear. Dean, I say it should be you."

"Me? Why don't you? You're still exhausted, Cas! I should take the lead this time." Dean frowned, walking faster to move in front of Castiel and cut him off.

"I'm fine Dean." Cas stopped in his tracks and stared at his partner, that same piercing look he always seemed to have. Dean could never tell if he was pissed off or not, it was always the same intensity. Or, at least most of the time; he could still remember the moments that Castiel looked hurt or incredibly sad. He'd never really had the nerve to ask about the expressions though. Maybe at some point he would, but for now he'd just settle for making Castiel rest.

"You're not fine." Dean returned the intense stare and squared his shoulders, a sort of show of dominance, of how much bigger he still was. "You nearly killed yourself out there and I don't want to have to go through that again."

Cas opened his mouth to protest but found it difficult to argue, "Alright," he agreed and continued down the path, looking for a world that needed immediate attention. Dean couldn't say he wasn't surprised, he'd expected more of a fight or at least an argument but nothing. Castiel agreed with him for once.

"Cas," Dean smiled and caught up to his partner's side, that sly grin peering around in front of Castiel's face, "Are you starting to like me?"

A frown followed by a hand shoved in Dean's face was enough to knock him back and away, Cas continued down the trail ahead. "You wish." He snarled, almost convincingly if not for the subtle laugh that followed.

"Ah! I knew it! You're starting to like me. I'm growing on you."

"Fungus."

"Ouch."

"So, question." Jet asked from the back of the pack, his hands shoved in his pockets casually. "What happens to the world we were just in? Is it safe now?"

"Safer," Cas replied, "It'll have a warding spell around it from now on though that doesn't make it impenetrable. And what's more, the people we've just met and left won't remember we were there."

"Seriously?" Dean frowned, remembering the other Castiel's smile and overall hospitality. "Not at all?"

"No, we were a ripple in their timeline, whatever we interrupt will be forgotten and their lives will continue as if we hadn't been there. It takes about two minutes after we leave, but it happens." Cas looked over at Dean with a chuckle, "Why? You hoping to go back for that 'foursome' or something?"

Dean's face flushed and he looked away, ignoring the burning red in his cheeks, "No! Whatever." He turned away quickly and ran past Castiel to the nearest world, following a trail of fire, "I choose this one. Let's go." He shouted gruffly over his shoulder.

Cas raised an eyebrow as he strolled to Dean's side, "Really?"

"Yeah, so shut up." Dean bristled and reached back to take his brother's hand, Sam trying not to laugh at him.

"Dean, you're being over defensive."

"Shut up, Sam. You have no idea what he's talking about."

"Doesn't matter, you're still over reacting." Sam chuckled and took Jet's hand, the other male already holding Castiel's.

"Are we ready then, Mr. Leader?" Cas smiled from his position in the back, a sassier look than Dean had ever seen on him before. "Or are you worried we'll end up with another Castiel who wants to have sex with you?" Dean frowned first and lifted his upper lip in disgust second, shrugging it off and stepping through the portal.

Cas let out a scoffing sound, one meant to be smug and snarky, something to be taken in a mocking fashion. He'd never say out loud that it was a defensive maneuver against Dean's obvious distaste for any sexual contact with him. Though he didn't quite understand why it bothered him so much, this was a different Dean; he'd covered that a long time ago. So why was it getting to him in ways only his Dean was able to hurt him? In fact they'd had a bit of a moment back in that last world, hadn't they? Dean was holding him so tightly, had he just forgotten it? Did Dean not remember how scared he was of losing Cas? Or maybe he did remember and was trying to brush it off, pretend it didn't happen. Cas couldn't tell.

And on the other side of things, Dean didn't quite understand the face he'd made in return to Castiel's comment. He was embarrassed to let Cas even think he'd be interested, he even went as far as to try and hurt Cas' feelings over it by making it seem like being interested was the worst possible interpretation of his actions. It was something stupid teenagers did, or middle schoollers with a crush.

And that was the exact moment Dean realized that he might just have a crush on someone.

* * *

**Small Problem World: Part 1**

"He's seriously taking forever," Dean grumbled, having already been scolded once by his brother but risking it a second time. "Yeah we've been through this but seriously! How long does it take an angel to get from Greece to here?"

Sam shrugged and absently tore at the corners of his newspaper, not sure what to say to his brother anymore. "Honestly Dean I don't know, alright? He's done the 'not answering' thing before, maybe he just got caught up in something. There's probably a thousand different answers to your question, none of which tell us anything until he actually gets back." He started to stand from the small motel table, rubbing his hand through his hair in an attempt to de-frustrate himself from the situation. Dean could get downright ridiculous when anything involved Cas and really he didn't want to be part of it at that moment. Hoping for some kind of a distraction or at least Castiel's arrival.

He got his distraction when the wall next to him opened up, the surface rippled like a pool of water and both Winchesters found themselves completely unprepared for it. Sam grabbed his handgun and immediately took five steps back, weapon up and eyes trained on the movement of their motel room wall as the rippling quickened. Dean was already on his feet and prepared to snag whatever came out, demon knife in hand.

Two bodies emerged, one awkwardly falling through and face planting in the process, the other moving gracefully and stepping almost silently into the room. Dean grabbed the upright individual and forced him up against a portion of the wall that was regular, pinning him there with one arm. He was about to snap out the words 'who are you' when he saw who he'd grabbed, "Cas? Took you long enough! Where the hell have you been? And what's with the weird wardrobe?"

Castiel lifted a hand and slowly pushed Dean away from him, the hunter following the motion cooperatively. No real sense in shoving Cas anywhere, really. "I don't know what you were expecting," The priest started explaining as his partner bewilderedly rose from his humbled position on the floor, "but we're not it."

"Dean," Sam's warning tone caught his brother by surprise, both Dean's in the room looking over at him, "There's two of you." He lowered the gun a little, only for a moment before he traded it out for a silver knife from the duffel bag at his feet.

"Calm down," Castiel instructed, "There should have been two more, did they come through?"

"No, you're the first wall jumpers we got today." Dean's hand forcefully returned to Cas' chest and pushed him back against the wall, "Now start talking. Who are you?"

"You weren't wrong, I am Castiel, just not the one you know."

Dean narrowed his eyes and pushed harder, his untrusting nature not as much of a surprise to Cas though the other Dean was surprised to see it. "Hey, let go of him!" The priest in-training moved to remove his look alike from his partner but stopped, Sam's hand firmly on his shoulder.

"Enough fooling around, how did you walk through a wall? What are you?"

"Give me a moment to explain and I'll tell you." Castiel growled, glaring at Dean just as hard as the hunter glared at him. The stare-off lasted several moments before Dean finally let go again, stepping away but not disarming himself. "Thank you," Cas wasn't entirely grateful but using those words tended to soothe more than not. "Now, like I said my name is Castiel, this is my partner Dean. To put it simply, we're travellers of the time-space continuum, alternate realities, and dimensions."

"So…" Dean looked over at his double, staring at the matching outfits these two wore and deciding not to bring it up. "How?"

"It's a special ability we possess as High Priests."

"Why?" Sam's expression matched the untrusting confusion of his brother's to the T.

"Essentially; we've been given the task of salvation." Castiel made it seem to easy to explain, his partner was left with the memory of fumbling through it to the Cas from the last world. He cringed at the thought and kept his mouth shut, if Castiel was with him then Castiel could answer the questions.

"Salvation of what?" The other Dean took his turn at question asking, his face starting to take on a look of skepticism. Not did he only distrust them, he thought they were deceiving and lying. Much more dangerous.

"The universe, different realities, timelines, dimensions, all of it. Wherever we may go we are responsible for saving, whether we've been there or not."

Sam lowered the knife, passively dropping it back into the bag at his feet and earning himself an estranged look from the other hunter. "Sounds like it's kind of big for just two of you."

"Used to be just me," Cas scoffed, "It's gotten easier, mostly."

"I think the question is more like what are you saving these things _from_?" Dean wasn't about to give up as easily as Sam, he wasn't about to just accept that these look a-likes were saving universes without some kind of proof.

"The Void, mostly." Castiel had already visibly relaxed in comparison to his earlier stance, eyes no longer trying to glare a hole through Dean's head. "It's the space in between dimensions and off the mainline of realities. It's everywhere and there are monsters lurking in it, all kinds of beasts with several names and capabilities. They've been sneaking into the worlds and causing havoc, slowly taking over until there's nothing left to save." He looked away miserably, his hands tightening at his sides, "It's happened a few times now, where I was unable to help and one of the worlds fell, dragged down into the void and gone."

Dean watched his partner as the two brothers exchanged a glance and moved closer to each other; he wondered why Cas hadn't told him that. _'Probably because it's not something that needed to come up, or something he doesn't like to mention.'_ But of course that begged the question; why now?

"Alright," Sam looked over from where he and his Dean had huddled to make a quick game plan, "What can we do?"

"I just need to know what's been going on lately that's entirely different from normal." Cas watched their faces crack up at his words and all he could do was stare at them until someone fessed up as to why it was so funny.

"Man, that's _everyday_ around here." Dean snorted at him, "When things are normal is when it's not normal. I don't know what to tell you."

"Then we need to go," Cas looked to his partner before heading toward the door, Dean in tow.

"Hold up."

The priests both stopped and glanced back, Cas looked the other Dean over for a second before answering. "Yes?"

"We're waiting for our friend to come back, he might know something." Dean explained, still not willing to just let this go. If their reality was in danger and all he had to do was find something strange going on to help it? What would he say to himself later if he didn't do anything at all and things were coming to an end around him? He'd be pissed.

Cas hesitated but nodded, "Alright then, we'll stay."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Have you ever read something you wrote a long time ago and just… cringe? Yeah, that was me re-reading some of my old work to find what to add in here next. I'll admit that the Small Problem fic this world is based on isn't that well written. It's pretty bad actually lmfao I'm considering re-doing it. So if you do decide to go read it because you liked this world then please be nice, it was one of the first times I'd ever written smut and … well let's just say no reaction gif in the world could cover that horrendous bit.**


	16. Small Problem World: Little Things

**Small Problem World: Part 2**

Sam and Jet both tumbled out of the portal at the same time, to anyone that might've seen the spectacle would've recognized that there was a mess of limbs flailing to the ground. But that's about it. Sam pushed off his brother's best friend fairly quickly, standing up and looking around with wide eyes. They were on the side of a road in what looked to be the middle of nowhere.

"Apocalypse?" Jet asked as he pulled himself to his feet, brushing dirt off his arms, torso and patting his backside for good measure.

"No, don't think so… Doesn't look like any debris on the road, though we're not in a city so I can't really tell." Sam muttered his reply as he walked onto the asphalt, looking both ways for something, anything.

Jet looked the other way, his hands resting on his hips as his shoulders started to tremble, a snicker escaping him and breaking into a laugh. "You know, I don't see our priest friends anywhere?"

"What?" Sam spun around and looked back to where they'd landed, seeing nothing but the mark they'd left in the soil. "You're kidding me! So holding hands really didn't work…"

"Looks that way, sorry pal." Jet clapped him on the shoulder before heading down the road, "Well let's get moving, I have a feeling if something messed up happens we'll be pretty close to it."

Sam's attention was mostly elsewhere by the time Jet finished he's sentence, staring at a painfully bright light flickering across the sky at a quick pace. "Yeah…" He muttered his reply though he'd forgotten what he was responding to already. "Do you see that?"

"Hm?" The other brunette glanced back before tilting his head in the direction Sam was pointing, "It's… a really energetic firefly?"

"Way too big." Sam ran over to a nearby tree that he figured would be in the thing's path and climbed, nimbly pulling himself up the thick branches until he'd gotten high enough. Sam reached out though it looked too far away, that was, at least, until it seemed to notice him. The small figure zipped right to his hand and collapsed onto it, little hands grasping at his arm to keep balance.

"Sam!" It was Castiel, Sam realized, except he was maybe 5inches tall… and naked. "Sam something's happened!" His eyes were so wide and terrified, his hands trembling on Sam's wrist.

"How'd you get so small?" Sam couldn't think of anything else to ask but that, "And what's that glow on your back?"

"Those are my wings," Little Cas shifted as he folded them in and out of the way, "And I was cursed. That gem you sent me to get did this to me and I was bringing it back when something… something happened, I don't have it anymore." He fidgeted and tried to stand on Sam properly though his balance was a little off. His fidgety behavior only made him seem more out of sorts; whatever happened must've been bad enough to shake him up like this. "I need that gem to turn back, I'm fairly certain. But… this thing is chasing me. I can't get away from it and I can't fight it, I have no idea what it is-"

"Okay, okay, calm down." Sam moved his hand toward his shoulder, "Just hold onto me and I'll climb down from here, alright? We'll figure this out." He was thinking that he wasn't aware that Cas ever had wings, and he didn't remember sending him off for a gem either. The intelligent conclusion at that point would be to assume that this Castiel was native to this dimension.

Cas nodded and slowly climbed onto Sam's shoulder, one hand gripping the fabric of his sweater while the other was held against Sam's head for balance. It was strange, to climb down a tree with a little person sitting on you, clinging to you for dear life. Sam smiled to himself, his eyes shifting over to the little man holding onto him, "You okay?"

"Yes," Castiel breathed out, clearly having tried a more relaxing approach to things. "For the moment." He glanced around worriedly, "I just… I don't know where that thing is."

"What did it look like?" Sam asked calmly as he made his way back down to ground level, Jet watching him with that older brother air about him. He wasn't Sam's brother or related in any way but Jet was still family.

"It didn't so much as look like anything as it… Well…" Cas fidgeted some more, he felt foolish somehow, like it was his fault this thing appeared out of nowhere, that it had chased him. "If I had to describe it in a way you'd understand I'd say it was a sort of cloud of smoke. All black, it had a face and it could materialize into different shapes but mostly it remained like air." He was looking down as he spoke, remembering what it looked like as he tried to describe it.

"Uh… like that?" Jet pointed up at a dark cloud floating unnaturally faster than the rest, its trajectory changing every now and then in ways only a living thing could accomplish.

"Yes!" Cas tugged on Sam's collar, "Where's Dean? We need to get out of here!"

"If it's like air we should be fine, right?" Sam furrowed his brow as he tucked himself behind the tree, hiding from sight and lowering his voice.

"It looks like it's made of air and vapors but its hits are solid." Castiel explained softly, his posture and body language showing nothing but how tense he was. "I had to drop the gem or else I never would have been fast enough to escape, it's somewhere about ten miles away from here but I can't get it if this thing is after me."

"Why is it after you again?" Jet hissed in a whisper, keeping his eyes up on the monster warily through the tree branches.

"I don't know, it came out of nowhere and went after me." Cas answered in the same low tone, also trying to follow it with his eyes when it was in view. He swallowed nervously and held onto Sam a little harder, holding his breath and praying the thing went on its way.

The following minutes were murder on their nerves but eventually the monster continued on its way, floating into the distance and gone. Castiel started to breathe again and fell against Sam, finally able exhale a sigh of relief. Sam and Jet both visibly relaxed against the trees they hid against, feeling the exhaustion from such a long time of added tension. "Okay," Sam said finally, "I think it's gone for now. Cas, what happened?"

"Okay," Castiel straightened up and was about to start talking when he seemed to realize something. "Uh…" his cheeks started to tint pink as he looked down at himself, the heat creeping up from all areas of his body and darkening his face in red. The two in his company didn't get it at first, at least not until he tried covering himself.

Sam smiled a little and nudged him gently, "It's alright, Cas. Not judging here, go ahead."

Cas looked at him sheepishly but listened all the same, if Sam wasn't embarrassed and trying to force him to get dressed than maybe it wasn't so bad. If he'd learned anything from the Winchesters, it was to know when he should be humiliated and ashamed of himself. Granted he'd existed for ages knowing what the human body looked like, but that was before he had one and before he'd known Dean Winchester. Regardless, he decided to explain, "Well when you told me to get the gem-"

"Cas, I'm not the same Sam." Sam interrupted gently, trying to keep from spooking the poor thing though judging by Castiel's face he didn't do much good.

"You're not-" Cas squinted a moment before realizing that Sam wasn't lying, he was far from the hunter that Castiel knew. Which meant he was talking to something else and could very well be in real danger. A bright flash erupted from his spine as his wings flared free, he was about an inch off of Sam's hand before the Winchester caught him out of the air.

"Cas, calm down." Sam soothed, his hand tightening enough to keep the squirming angel in place, "Yes I'm from another dimension but I'm not going to hurt you!"

"Let go of me!" Castiel growled as he slowed down, glaring up at Sam distrusting. His eyes were intense, a look that Sam remembered seeing in the priest as well.

'_There must be something they've gone through that's similar… The Cas from the post apocalyptic world just looked empty… Well, sort of, maybe less empty than his Dean's.'_ Sam mused to himself as he pulled Cas closer, gently holding him to his chest. "Cas, I promise I'm not here to do anything bad."

Castiel's tense limbs started to relax, his head resting back against Sam's hand to look up at the younger Winchester suspiciously though much less violent. He had questions but knew that he should keep it down to the most important ones. "Alright… Then why are you here?"

"We're here to get rid of monsters like the one that attacked you," Jet answered first, his tone a little uneven. Sam wondered why for a brief second before he recognized it as Jet's 'I'm trying not to laugh at you' voice.

"You didn't do a very good job." Cas muttered, glancing back toward the sky.

"We're not the ones doing it, my brother and another Cas are the ones who were technically given the job. Jet and I tagged along." Sam adjusted his hold on the little angel and lifted him up, Castiel sitting on his palm with his legs together as they dangled over. "So what happened?"

"The other Winchester brothers, the ones from this dimension, asked me to retrieve something for them, that gem. I went to pick it up and when I touched it this happened to me." He gestured to himself vaguely, keeping his legs together self-consciously. "I was carrying it back when I ran into that thing. I've never seen anything like it before, where is it from?"

"Something called 'The Void' or whatever," Jet shrugged, "What does it matter where it came from? Problem is it's here and it's looking for you for some reason, little guy."

Cas scoffed at the term but turned his attention to Sam, not particularly interested in speaking with someone he didn't know at that moment. "Sam?"

"Jet's right," Sam smiled down at Cas reassuringly, "We should go back to the Winchesters that you know, I'd bet that's where my brother and friend showed up."

After a moment of thought Cas nodded, "Well we need to head over there, then."

Regardless of the story that was told, why Castiel was the size he was or why Sam and Jet were there; they still needed to get a move on. The motel they were heading to was fairly far off still, approximately thirty kilometers (about twenty miles for the Americans). Sam tucked Castiel into the pocket of his sweater, away from the pull of the late autumn breeze and safely hidden. He hurried along the side of the road, glancing out at the highway to see if any traffic was oncoming. He'd never hitchhiked before but he was willing to do so now. What did it matter what kind of creep picked them up? He needed to get to his brother and warn him about the cloud monster floating about.

Jet kept an eye out as well though he was a little more realistic about the situation. "You know nobody's gonna pick up two guys, right? Especially since we're both older?"

"I'm not that old." Sam retorted without even a glance at the other male, his hand carefully nestled in his pocket to keep Castiel steady. Cas quietly rested against the support, finding himself exhausted after such a long flight with the emerald. His appreciation for the kindness was unending, he was surprised at how gentle this Sam was, how considerate; it was a nice change.

"Doesn't matter, you're still old enough to look threatening, not to mention were both pretty damn tall." Jet looked back down the road behind them for a car after hearing the familiar sound of an engine. "Whoever picks us up is most likely going to be insane or just as dangerous as we look."

"I look like a college student that's been ill for the last year," Sam pointed out conversationally, "Speak for yourself."

"Fine, speaking on my own behalf; No one is going to give us _both_ a ride."

"Then you'll have to meet me there."

"Not funny."

Sam shrugged with a laugh, his hand stuck out in hopes the car would slow down for him. He barely furrowed his brow as it passed by, sighing lightly to himself. Jet was probably right; the situation wasn't going to go by very quickly. Sam could feel his stomach twist in anxious knots, he didn't know where that monster was going, where it'd pop up or even what it could do. Dean was sitting around unaware of what it was, what if he was alone? Or they didn't see it coming in time? It was after a Castiel, if it couldn't differentiate between the two then the priest might be in danger. Sam clenched his fist and grit his teeth, "Then we need to make someone stop, this is important."

Jet frowned and stepped onto the road, "Then we stop someone."

"Are you nuts?" Sam protested, running up to his friend and tugging him back, "You can't just stand in the middle of the road-"

"You're right, they'll see me from a long way's off and just go around..." Jet mused to himself, humouring Sam by letting himself be pulled off the asphalt. "Run?"

Sam nodded, "Looks that way, yeah."

With the adjoined agreement the two started to run. For the next fifteen minutes Sam barely gave it another thought, even as he heard the roar of an engine approaching again he kept himself focused on his pace, hoping they could make it further faster this way. He hadn't considered Jet's usual nature and when the man veered left and stopped Sam could only skitter to a halt and spin around to stare. Jet had thrown his arms into the air and waved frantically at the semi truck heading directly for him, shouting something that was lost to the Winchester. Sam had already bolted back to his friend's side as he heard the telltale sounds of a big rig's brakes. But big trucks couldn't stop on a dime and it was much to close to Jet to amount to anything but road kill. Luckily for the hotheaded young man, Sam was quick on his feet and fast enough to yank Jet away from imminent pancake-dom.

"Have you _LOST IT_!?" Sam screamed as he shook Jet firmly, his chest heaving in ragged breaths.

"Not so much," Jet smiled a little and pat his pseudo-little brother on the head before brushing Sam's hands off his shirt. With a quick wink he ran around to the truck driver's door, an older, larger man staring down at him in disbelief. "Hey!"

Sam stared with a similar expression to the driver, still trying to catch his breath. He knew Jet could be stubborn. He knew he could be crazy. He even knew that Jet could be the most charming son of a bitch he'd ever met. That didn't mean Sam was aware of just _how_ good Jet was.

Before he knew it they were speeding down the highway, the truck driver having even offered the contents of his mini-fridge to the two young men in his bunk.


	17. Small Problem World: Fighting Air

_Fragments of Memories_

"_You know it's a little weird…" Castiel mused quietly; mostly to himself though Dean was conveniently nearby to hear him, "I can't remember the last time I just sat inside on a weekend."_

_Dean looked over at him, glanced up from Castiel's fidgeting fingers on the table to his calm expression. It wasn't a statement that required an answer, so he didn't give one, instead he rose from his spot on the couch and moved from the living room to the kitchen. Standing behind the soft-spoken man he'd come to know over the years Dean rested his arms around Castiel's shoulders. He leaned down onto Cas and let his weight lay there, hands crossing over his lover's chest and around his sides to hold him, head heavily left against the other's. It was a gesture to show he was there, that he was listening, and just to give Castiel the sense that he was loved._

_Castiel smiled and leaned into the familiar pressure, closing his eyes and relaxing. Sometimes Dean knew exactly what he needed without even a hint that there was a problem._

* * *

**Small Problem World: Part 3**

Dean sat across from himself, both hunter and priest looking fairly unimpressed with the other as Sam and Castiel conversed between themselves about the latest goings on. Dean watched his partner as the other Dean watched his brother, then back to each other, then back to the other males in the room and so on and so forth until they couldn't quite remember why they were glaring in the first place. The priest sighed and leaned back, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Time didn't seem to be going by fast enough and even then, he didn't know how long they'd be waiting.

"What if something happened to your friend?" He finally blurted out, looking at his counterpart who only hardened his expression further.

"He's fine, just taking his time." The gruff reply wasn't good enough and Dean was about to say something more when Castiel spoke over him.

"It's something to consider," He lifted his hand to stop his Dean from making a scene or complaining more, "We're here for a reason. It means something isn't right in this world which means whatever you're used to might change."

"He's right, Dean." Sam shrugged as he received the 'whose side are you on' face from his brother, "Maybe we should go look for him?"

"Where we gonna start, huh?" The older hunter snapped agitatedly, "He flew off to Greece for Christ's sake. Want me to start phoning my pals over there to ask if they've seen a guy in a trench coat that may or may not have gone to an old ruin?"

Sam lifted his hands in defeat, not bothering to say anything more on the subject. Castiel looked between them and smiled a bit, the corner of his mouth twitching upward as he realized what he was seeing. "You're worried about him." He said more as a statement than a question, his head tilted as he eyed the other Dean curiously.

"What?" That same, rough tone laced with an anxiety that most people would chalk up to a bad mood, but Castiel knew better. "No-"

"I can hear it in your voice, Dean. Don't lie to me." Cas kept a straight face as he spoke, eyes piercing into Dean's until the other looked away. "I've heard it before, you're worried about him and you don't know how to deal with it so you get angry."

"Yeah, whatever." Was the only reply Castiel received, earning a bit of a laugh from Sam. They shared an amused glance but Cas didn't say anything more on the topic. He wished he could explain how he knew, how he could recognize that sound anywhere. He'd heard Dean's voice too many times in his life; too many times there was the long and strangled crack in his tone as he tried to find a way to express himself. Dean had never been good at it, had never really been able to deal with his loved one when they were hurting, with his own uselessness. Cas could see it so easily and there was nothing he could use as an example that wouldn't be too revealing to his own partner.

Part of him wondered why he was hiding it, why he wouldn't tell Dean who his husband had been, who he'd given his life to. But the rest of him answered that question pretty quickly, it'd be too complicated, it'd get in the way of the job they had to do, it'd make things harder than they needed to be. Not that it wasn't hard for Castiel already but it'd be easier if it weren't hard for Dean at the same time, spare him the mess.

The other Dean fiddled with his over coat, sifting his hand into the back of it a few times before groaning tiredly, "Can we at least go look for Sam and Jet?" He looked at Castiel with the hint of lost patience in his face.

Before Cas could answer, however, there was a loud knocking at the door followed by a familiar voice, "Hey, open up!" It was Sam, sounding much younger than the hunter sitting at the table only making the brothers look at one another in a way that said more between them than their guests could really read.

Castiel smiled and motioned toward the door, "I think that'd be Sam."

Dean grinned, dropping his uniformed coat-edge and hurried to answer it, swinging the door open to see his brother's face light up with recognition. "Hey Sammy," he breathed a sigh of relief, neither hesitating to move forward into a hug. Dean rubbed his hand through Sam's hair as an attempted gesture of normalcy, something that he used to do when Sam was sick to comfort him. "I'm glad you're alright." He glanced up from over Sam's shoulder at the grin on Jet's face, his best friend giving a quick little wave of acknowledgement.

Before answering Sam had closed his eyes and took that moment to enjoy the sense of safety he felt with Dean there. "Mostly, yeah." He smiled half-heartedly before lifting his hand from his pocket, "Except for this." Castiel peered up with wide eyes, not prepared to leave the shelter of Sam's sweater.

Dean looked down and gawked at the sight, a 15cm (6in) tall Castiel perched on his brother's palm. The little angel looked almost mortified at being taken out into the light of day, curling in on himself and ducking his head, eyes still focused up on Dean's face.

"This isn't the same Dean," mini-Cas spoke after a moment, his voice still surprisingly low despite his size, "You're a dimension traveller as well then?"

"_CAS_!?" hunter-Dean bolted from his seat to his angel's side, unable to decide on a reaction to Castiel's size. "You're… you're so…" he gestured to the angel a few times with a lack of words to carry the rest of his sentence.

"Small… yes." Cas nodded, Sam noting the 'brave face' he was suddenly putting up. It was kind of cute to see from a different perspective. It was becoming a pattern, or at least it seemed to be the case for the only two worlds they'd been to.

"And naked…" the older of the two Dean's continued causing Castiel to flinch a little. It was subtle and only Sam could feel it through his hand, but it had still happened.

"Ah… yes… I haven't found anything yet." Mini-Cas curled his lower lip in for a moment to bite it, his gaze immediately finding somewhere else to focus on as he tried to hide himself further. The little bit of self-consciousness he'd managed to lose came right back to him. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," Sam reminded him gently, a hand coming around and shielding Cas' body from Dean, both of them. He looked up at his not-brother brother and frowned, "If you don't like it then don't look."

"Hey I-" Dean was about to find a way to defend himself when the other Castiel nudged him aside.

"Never said you didn't like it, yes, yes we know." He muttered as he leaned over to look at his smaller self, the little angel slightly preoccupied with being grateful for Sam's generosity. "This isn't caused by anything I'm aware of…" He furrowed his brow and gently prodded shrunken-Cas with his finger.

A surprised yelp followed by a smack at the hand was the angel's reaction, Cas glaring up at himself and shifting further behind Sam's hand. "It was from the emerald I went to get, which I had to drop," he looked at the hunters he knew, "My apologies."

"Why'd you drop it?" Sam asked as he walked closer, also wanting to get a better look at the small problem which was evidently as naked as his brother had surmised before him.

Castiel frowned and glared at the hunters who had the same expression of 'why' instead of the concern he'd expected, though Dean's was a tad harder to understand. "There was something about to _eat me_, I was a little more worried about that than a gem. But if you absolutely must know, yes I feel terrible for dropping it. Is that what you want to hear? That I'm miserable because you didn't get a stupid cursed object?"

"Cas, calm down." Sam hushed him, cradling him a little closer. Castiel wanted to snap back at him with the words 'I'm not some child that needs to be protected or sheltered' but it'd be too much like biting the hand that feeds you. Sam had been so kind to him thus far and he'd really rather not.

"I'm sorry, I just…" Cas took a deep breath and tried to relax himself a little. "I am a little overwhelmed."

"It's alright," The taller Castiel reassured briefly before looking up at the newly arriving Sam and Jet, "So did you see what was after him?"

"Yeah," Jet gestured upward, "It was a black cloud that moved however it wanted. What do you people call that?"

"Aer," Castiel mused, his brow furrowing as his lips pursed together, his mind moving elsewhere than the conversation.

"Eyer? You mean air?" Jet tried to mimic the way the priest had rolled the word on his tongue though failed to do so in the same way. It sounded kind of stupid, and he wasn't sure he understood the pronunciation. "You literally call it air?"

"Aer," Castiel repeated, "It means air, mist, ether, whatever you wish."

Dean stared at his partner for an answer to a question he hadn't asked, waiting for the explanation since Castiel always seemed to give one. The other Dean was much more impatient however, "And?" He snapped, reaching over and snatching his angel back from an unknown Sam and possibly a threat. "What does it do?" Mini-Cas yelped lightly from the suddenly movement but carefully nestled onto Dean without much more of a fuss.

"Nothing, really." Castiel shrugged and moved past Sam and Jet to stand outside, eyes scanning the clouds and horizon line. "I mean, they're a nuisance but nothing dangerous. I've never gone to a world where they were the only things roaming… And just _one?_ That's even more ridiculous."

"Well I only saw the one." The other Cas replied quickly, "Is it really so easy to take care of? Why does it need four of you?"

"Only two of us can actually do anything." Dean corrected with a smirk, earning himself a flat expression from both his brother and friend. "But that aside, Cas, what do we have to do?"

"Bait it and dissipate it with a spell."

"That's all?"

"Yeah… that's pretty much it. I've taken care of a sky full of those things before, I don't understand why I wasn't allowed in this world without a partner, this could have been solved ages ago."

"I don't think it's based on difficulty," Sam looked up thoughtfully, "How many times in the past however-many years have you seen so many you and Dean's?"

The long pause that followed gave him his answer but Sam waited anyway. "I haven't."

"That's probably it, you're here because you're meant to see these two." Sam motioned to the hunter cradling his angel in his palm protectively, little Castiel taking that cue to look up at his Dean curiously.

"That's ridiculous." The priest snapped, refusing to see it, "It's much more likely there's something else here, or this one aer isn't as harmless as I think."

"There's nothing to see between me and Cas anyway," Dean growled, his hands a little less protective around his angel as if to prove his point somehow.

The two Sam's exchanged a glance and shook their heads, nothing more to say on the subject. "So then let's get to planning," The older Sam motioned, "And get that gem back while we're at it."

"Right, what does it want?" Both Dean's asked simultaneously, neither addressing it with any kind of reaction.

"Me." Castiel rose from Dean's palm, getting everyone's attention once again, "It was after me."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Heya guys, thanks for reading :D Also thanks a lot for the reviews and feedback, I appreciate it!**

**For those of you who don't already know I'm a bit artistic too so I digitally painted a picture of Chronicles Cas on my deviantArt account, the link is in my profile so just click on my name and it'll take you there. **

**Anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'm on work placement right now (part of my college program) so things are a little weird at the moment and update times are all over the place. For those of you who didn't figure it out, the 'Memory' part at the top of this chapter is about Chronicle's Castiel before he became a High priest, figured I'd toss bits and pieces in there for fun :) Have a good day guys**


	18. Small Problem World: Fighting Aer

_Fragments of Memories_

"_Hey Cas…" Sam's voice, regardless of how weak, broke the silence and had Castiel's attention faster than an alarm ever would. Castiel placed his book down as he rose from the armchair he always occupied in the room, his back wet as a result from the summer heat. Most would turn on a fan or two but he'd already gotten used to the 40-degree weather (104 in Fahrenheit)._

"_Yes?" He nestled next to Sam's bedside, moving over the mounds of blankets covering the young man and brushed the stray hairs from his forehead. Cas tried not to let Sam's clammy cold sweat get to him, it would only serve to upset him and at that moment he needed to remain positive for his family._

_Sam smiled at him meekly, barely flinching at the touch this time. "It's… cold in… h-here." _

"_I'm sorry, baby, I can't turn the heat up any more." Cas replied softly, "I'll get you more blankets."_

* * *

**Small Problem World: Part 4**

Back along the tree line where Castiel had dropped the emerald, the team had gathered, the simple plan being pushed through despite a few taking issue with it. They chose a clearing to set up, a space that mini-Cas could sit in broad daylight while the others took cover. To Sam's request, the hunter Dean was positioned closest to his angel. It didn't even matter which Sam suggested it because the other agreed with the motion immediately. While they were positioning themselves Castiel discovered the emerald lying in the tall grass, his boot nudging it and making a sound very unlike a rock.

"This yours?" He asked as he lifted it up, looking at the two hunters for clarification, tossing it their way.

"Yep," Sam lifted his hand to catch and pocket the thing, giving his brother a nod before disappearing into the trees.

"This isn't a good idea." Dean muttered grumpily. He was close to Castiel, right next to him but out of sight from above. He glanced down at the angel who barely seemed nervous about the whole situation, sitting atop a branch letting his legs dangle down. Still undressed but wrapped in a torn cloth as some sort of toga, Cas played with the petals of a nearby flower. Dean was a little surprised to see how calm he looked, Castiel wasn't often used as the bait Dean would have thought he'd be more on edge than he appeared. "You aren't nervous?"

"Of course I am," Castiel chuckled softly, "Dean, since I was shrunk I've been weaker, I can't remember as much as I'd known before, I get tired and a little hungry. I don't know what's happening to me but right now I don't have time to be scared." He looked up at the worried face Dean wore, eyes tracing it vaguely before he smiled sadly and turned away. His fingers fiddled with the soft pink flower, tightening around a petal and plucking it free. "The other Castiel believes this thing to be more dangerous than his first impression, but he only thinks so because there could not possibly be anything he was here to witness."

Dean furrowed his brow as he caught something in Castiel's tone that didn't quite fit. He sounded strained, like he was holding onto something, a meaning his words weren't making on their own. "What do you mean?"

"'There's nothing to see between me and Cas anyway,'" Castiel repeated and Dean recognized the words as his own from earlier.

"Cas… I'm sorry." Dean looked down at the ground for a moment before returning his gaze to Castiel's disheartened expression. "I… I shouldn't have said it like that."

Castiel looked up at him, the hurt slowly being replaced by curiosity. "How should you have said it?"

"I meant it as in what you and I have or… whatever, it's not something I want other people watching. It's private and…" He struggled with the words but he couldn't just stop talking with Castiel looking at him like that. "…personal. It's personal and I don't want other people watching us like that."

The smile that took over Cas' face was overwhelming and for moment Dean had forgotten where they were. "May I be honest for a moment?" Cas broke his concentration with the question, the tone a little softer than it had been before.

"Go ahead," Dean smiled reassuringly.

"Yes, I am nervous, I'm scared…" Cas looked away as he curled his lower lip in, biting it anxiously before continuing. "I am afraid that this monster is worse than it normally would be, that it's a larger threat. But at the same time I've faced things that were able to kill me before and I came out fine so I don't see why I should be all that worried." He fidgeted, again plucking a petal free and sighed, looking up at the sky for some kind of black clot. "And yet… I can't stop the shaking." His voice broke with the words and Dean was about to call it off right then and there.

He would have, too, if the aer hadn't descended on them like lightning. A loud crash of wind all but blew Castiel from his perch, the miniature angel clinging for dear life but not able to hold on. His hands slipped, a sharp cry tearing from his throat as he hurdled backward, anticipating the painful crack of the trees behind him.

Dean's reflexes were faster than either gave him credit for, his hand snapping out and snatching his angel in mid-air. Castiel's hands scrambled for something to hold onto, scratching and pinching as he found purchase in the flesh of Dean's forearm and wrist. "Holy shit," Dean breathed, his arms fumbling a little to cradle his angel and get at his gun again. His eyes were wide as a disembodied face leered down at him, the smokey space forming a body behind it. Dean jerked backward, shielding and hiding Castiel from the wispy hand that reached for him.

The moment went by so fast, the aer thrashing forward as it tried to break away from a sudden hold on it. Dean relaxed a little as the thing flailed backward threw the air, its grabby hands far away from his angel. The chant that had been previously lost in the gusting winds overpowered the immediate area, Castiel the priest compressing the aer into a ball between his palms.

"Whoa," Jet settled next to Dean and laughed, "Dude that's a lot of memorization you're gonna have to deal with."

"Shut up, I'm getting that." Dean replied, eyes glued to his partner, something in his mind telling him to keep an eye out. It wasn't that he sensed trouble or that Castiel needed his help, he just felt more comfortable watching and making sure everything was all right. It was all over so smoothly, Castiel crushed the ball of gas with the last of his incantation and that was it. Done. "Easiest one so far." Dean called out as he approached Castiel, the priest absently rubbing his hands off on his coat.

"Yes well… it was definitely nothing worth writing home about."

"So that's it? We're done?"

"Basically, let's get going." Castiel sighed and motioned for the others to come closer.

"What do you mean by 'basically'?" Dean shifted around to stand in front of his partner, not letting Castiel look away. "Is there something else about these things I should know about?"

"Nothing we need to worry ourselves with."

Dean watched Castiel's face for a moment, not letting him get away so easily. "What is it, Cas?"

Castiel glanced over at the hunters and their angel, Dean cupping mini-Cas close to his chest before lifting him up to kiss the top of his head. "The thing about the aer is that they tend to mess more with the dimension than just a little bit, they alter the timeline and twist everything out of sorts if they're left too long. It seems we got to this one soon enough that the timeline can go back to the way it was, however that means resetting it."

"Resetting to _when_?" Dean gawked before following Cas' line of sight. He felt a hitch in his chest when he saw the way little Cas nuzzled his hunter's nose, an adorable laugh fading on the wind. "Is there anything we can do to stop it?"

"No, there isn't. It'll reset to an earlier period before the aer altered anything serious but I don't know for sure when that will be. Perhaps we'll save him from being shrunk in the first place." Castiel offered a thought meant to be uplifting but it didn't take. "Come on, we should keep moving."

Dean remained in place as his partner passed him by, watching the two who seemed to newly find their relationship with one another. It was so sweet, to see someone discover their feelings and find them mutual in the other person. Dean couldn't remember the last relationship he'd had that worked, but he didn't think he'd ever been as happy with someone as the other him was with Castiel at that moment. And now he was leaving, knowing they'd never remember this and that they may never get together because of it. None of it seemed fair.

"Dean, come on." Sam called, breaking his thought process. "Cas says there's probably something more important waiting out there, we're wasting time."

'_Are we wasting our time?'_ Dean thought as he followed his brother's beckoning.

None of them thought it worth it to go and give a heartfelt goodbye, not the hunters anyway but little Castiel flew over and landed on Sam's shoulder. "Thank you for everything." He spoke softly before hugging the side of Sam's head affectionately.

"You're welcome," Sam rubbed his back in return and shooed him playfully, "Now get back over there, you're boyfriend's waiting."

Cas blushed and nodded, taking his leave and allowing the others to go in peace, returning to his Dean as the other took one last look at the couple. Dean shook his head and followed the others into the portal, vanishing from that dimension and leaving it to reset itself.

* * *

**Mainline**

"Cas slow down," Sam urged as they hurried down the road, "I think we should stop and think about this for a second."

"Think about what?" Cas turned around, his tone not annoyed but it still sounded fairly close.

"About when we travel to the dimensions, we always seem to get separated. Is there a way to stop it? What if next time someone's alone?"

Castiel furrowed his brow and glanced over at Dean for a moment as if to say 'I said they shouldn't come' but continued to speak to Sam anyway, "I understand you're concerned but at the moment there's nothing we can do about it. It's randomized, we held hands and went in a completely different order but Dean and I still wound up together. There's nothing more we can do short of tying ourselves to one another."

Jet shrugged and pat Sam on the shoulder, "What are you so worried about, man? You were pretty awesome back there, we don't need these jokers."

Sam smiled, appreciative of Jet's attempt at least, "Yeah, aside from you and the freaking semi truck."

"Hey, I would've been a pancake."

"What?" Dean laughed, catching up and leaning over toward Sam, "You saved Jet's life and I missed it?"

"I know, I regret it too," Sam smirked at Jet's fake-shocked expression.

"You're all impossible." Cas muttered as he continued on ahead, hiding the smile that pulled on his lips.


	19. Mainline: Meaningful Moments

_Some time later…_

**Mainline**

World after world and it started to seem like the same story. They burst into the scene, separated or not, it didn't matter because they quickly found each other then the monsters and exterminated them. And then back to the mainline to do it again. The problem was that the monsters weren't diverse, they continually ran into the aer creatures, one at a time. Dean was finding that after the sixth or seventh aer in a row he was starting to memorize that incantation that Castiel had recited earlier on. In fact Sam had learned the chant before he did and as it turned out regular people were just as useful when chanting spells.

Dean was starting to feel like it was all so monotonous, like this adventure was nothing more than a day job. Maybe it was the enemies that continually cropped up or maybe it was the 'go go go' mentality that Castiel used to approach it. Dean remembered that Cas had spent a few days at their house, several in town perched on the statue, why had he spent so much time? And though Dean wanted to know the answer he couldn't quite bring himself to ask it directly. It felt like a more private conversation, not appropriate to bring up around Sam and Jet. But that didn't stop him from trying to approach the topic.

"Is this really what you've been doing for ages?" Dean asked absently as they trekked the mainline once again, looking for something of more importance. Castiel seemed more and more on edge as they went through the last few worlds, an aer each and every time. The worlds reset once they'd gone, each time Castiel and Dean had met themselves, or some version of them. Dean hadn't missed the pattern they'd come across, each Dean and Castiel they'd met was close, really close. Either they were together or hadn't tried yet but it was clear that that's where they were heading. It was another thing he wanted to ask about but again he couldn't find a way to ask.

Cas glanced over to his partner for a moment before answering in a mutter "More or less, except things had never been so… ridiculous." His teeth started to grind together as he let the thought fester.

"Ridiculous how?" Sam leaned around his other side to see his face, taking note of how tired Castiel's eyes looked. Cas always seemed tired but now he just looked worn out.

"I mean all of the aer that we've come across, it's getting ridiculous." He threw his hands into the air in frustration, letting them drop and dangle at his sides as if useless to him. "I've never seen them do this before, it's like the large group they would normally travel in split up to cover more ground or something. It's just strange, they have a hive-mind with their group so how in the world does it work for them to go to separate places?" Cas rambled mostly to himself, stopping to stare down into the void below them. His face twisted as he thought further, eyes narrowing the longer the stared, "And what's more, these are all worlds I couldn't get to before, I don't understand the connection."

"Yeah, I still don't think I get that one part." Jet piped in, knowing he'd probably irritate the man further but had no qualms with it. "What are you talking about when you say you couldn't get to those worlds before? They were blocked off or something?"

"Essentially, yes." Cas glanced Jet's way briefly before looking back to the main road and the little fires that lit up the world entrances, "The colours of these fires are important, I believe we've covered this when we first got here."

"Yeah yeah, I get _that_; one colour means the place is active and needs saving, another colour means the world is accessible but nothing's going on, and another colour means the place is shut down completely. Whatever. What I don't get is why certain ones wouldn't let you in."

"I needed my partner, there's a certain point where a high priest can go no further alone. It isn't up to the priest, either, it's more of a destiny thing."

Jet made a face and sputtered a scoff at that, "Wow, really?"

"You're travelling between dimensions and realities, Jet, are you really taking the disbelieving path now?" Cas responded without looking back this time, his patience having already run too thin.

Jet lifted his hands in surrender, "Sorry, stepping on toes I guess."

Dean smirked but said nothing more until he spotted a world off the path, far below them with a fire lit up, blazing in the shadows of the void. "Cas, hold up, what's that one doing down there?"

"That world is lost to us right now," Castiel's tone had grown exasperated with all of the questions, he was starting to get really tired of being the exposé. "As you can see we can't reach it without falling into the void so leave it be."

"But-"

"I said _leave it_!" Cas snapped suddenly, his voice echoing and overpowering in the otherwise silent realm. He'd gone from annoyed to downright pissed like a switch had been flipped. It was a good indication to leave the subject alone, but when was a Winchester ever not stubborn?

Dean frowned and looked back down to it, looking for some kind of way to get down there. If they wanted something worth their while then pursuing the impossible should be their first step, shouldn't it? Castiel's approach was all wrong, Dean hadn't known enough before to really think so but he was starting to figure more and more out. And the longer he considered the way they were going about things the more he wanted to change it. "How long have you been doing this Cas?"

The other priest slowed his pace, already not liking where Dean's tone had gone but saw no real reason not to answer. "A few centuries, why?"

"How much headway have you made? If this is what things are like now then how bad were they?"

Castiel stopped and turned to stand in front of Dean, each could feel the brush of the other's clothing and knew how close they were standing. For a long moment they stared at one another, neither spoke as they held eye contact until Castiel finally growled out the words he'd been choking on, "You're suggesting the way I've been doing it isn't working, I take it?"

"I'm just thinking that you have a partner now for a reason, I think we should find a new way to handle things." Dean replied just as forcefully as Cas had, refusing to back down. "Just because you've been at this longer doesn't make you the end-all-be-all, you make mistakes too."

"Far fewer than yourself, at least I know how to stay alive in this mess-"

"When you're alone, but you've got three other people with you now! The same tactics don't apply!"

"Guys," Sam interjected and pushed the two apart, leaving his hands up to keep them that way. "Chill out, alright? We're still figuring this thing out, we don't know what works for the team just yet and that's okay. At least we're learning with the weak ones, right?"

Castiel exhaled heavily through his nose before he backed down and turned to continue along the mainline. He and Dean did nothing but fight lately, if they'd ever not fought, that is. The last time they'd had a meaningful moment was when he'd nearly killed himself in the post apocalyptic world. Of course, not that he wanted one in the first place. He continued to tell himself it didn't matter whether they had anything special between them or not, what mattered was getting the work done.

But the more he told himself that the more often they came across the stupidest worlds and missions he'd ever seen. Passing from one realm to the next seemed to be like going to the same one over and over again. There was a pattern he was missing, a puzzle that needed solving and he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Let's just pick a place that looks a bit different and hope for the best, how's that sound?" Sam suggested earnestly trying to help, he didn't like to see the two of them fight like that.

"Fine," Dean spat, "But I don't want him picking this time."

Sam could have slapped him but Castiel didn't respond the way he'd expected. Instead of fuming and exploding, Cas paused and lowered his head for a moment before nodding silently. "Then I think Sam should choose."

"Really?" Sam's face lit up as if he'd been waiting for this. "You mean it?"

"Yes," Cas smiled at him genuinely, a look that almost distracted Sam from how old Cas sounded. "Please, just point one out and we'll go."

Sam knew stress when he saw it but there was nothing to be helped by bringing it up. Instead he nodded eagerly and hurried ahead to look at the different options, there were so many and while he wanted to go to the one Dean had mentioned he knew better.

As they followed Sam, Dean was watching Castiel's back but his anger and frustration was slowly drifting away, something more curious replacing it. Cas was normally pretty good with answering questions, something Dean figured came with the job, but not this time. This time he snapped, lost his patience and kept a tight lip. Was it personal or had something changed? And that wasn't the only thing, Dean remembered having dreams of Castiel when he'd seen him perched on that statue for days but they had never come up again. One in particular put him on edge, the night he'd met Castiel, when the demoni first attacked. "Cas," He started a little less confrontationally this time, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Castiel looked at him with a bit of uneasiness but nodded all the same, "We'll catch up with you," he told Sam when the younger man had turned to them.

"Right, I'll have one picked out by then."

"You better." Jet smirked and ruffled Sam's hair as he passed him by.

Cas turned to Dean once the others were out of earshot. "What is it?"

"I… is it possible to know something about someone else before you've met them?" Dean watched Castiel's eyes narrow a little at the question, only able to wish he knew what was going on in that head.

"As in… something more personal than just what they look like?"

"Yes," The exasperation in his voice wasn't intentional though he couldn't help but wonder if Cas was just being a smartass. "Like their past, or something?"

"Why? Did you see something?" Castiel shifted his body to angle away from Dean, trying to keep their exchange more impersonal.

"Yeah…"

"…Of?"

The long pause after his question answered it for him, Castiel reeled on Dean and forced him forward, hand wrapped in the front of his shirt and yanking him closer. "What did you see?" He hissed in a whisper, eyes narrowing further.

"Nothing! I don't know!" Dean answered quickly, leaning back to try and show he wasn't looking for a fight, "I don't know if it was _you_ specifically, but it was a Castiel."

"It had to have been me, you don't have a connection with anyone else." Cas grumbled but let go all the same. "What did you see?" This time the question was uttered with less aggression, Castiel stepping back again with a minor look of apology.

"I only saw you, but I was… I couldn't move my own body, I couldn't stop it."

"What were you doing?"

"I was strangling you." Dean's face cracked from the strong-man persona and let the distress show, "I… I couldn't stop it and I just saw your face draining and-"

"Dean," Castiel hushed him with a word and a light brush of skin as his hand grazed Dean's cheek, "It's alright, do I look dead to you?"

"Sometimes," Dean answered quietly, wondering where this sudden 'showing of emotion' thing came from. A rush of feelings and pain hit his chest like it had the first time and he felt choked up. Last time he had to go for a drive and that's how they had met, he'd accidentally stumbled on the remains of Castiel's battleground and the priest along with the mess. It was so weird to know just a while later here he was, with that same man.

Castiel was quiet for a moment but didn't run away or brush anything off like Dean was being an over sensitive baby. He honestly looked to be contemplating the best way to approach the topic, like he really did want to help. "When did you have this dream?"

"The night we met, right before."

"Ah, well that makes a lot more sense." Cas smirked a little though it was far from secure, "Sometimes the celestials will speak to us directly, and sometimes they'll influence our dreams or our situations entirely just to make something happen. It's part of their plan; there's no real way you could have had that dream on your own."

Dean laughed awkwardly and nodded, "Those bastards, literally giving me nightmares."

Cas chuckled and nodded, "Yes, well they're capable of more than just that."

As Dean was about to nod and agree the reality of Castiel's words struck him, "Wait, so that actually happened to you? Who tried to kill you?"

"My husband." Cas hesitated to respond but he still did, glancing away and trying to find something, anything else to look at.

Dean remembered having that conversation back before the demoni had woken in Sam, when he and Castiel had gone to get groceries together.

"_What's your last name?"_

"_Winchester."_

His eyes widened slowly as Castiel started to turn away, catching up to Sam and Jet. Dean's mouth felt dry as his brain started to connect the dots he'd had for far too long.

"_So wait, you kind of know us, right? Was there another version of Sam and me in your world? Is this why you're nice to Sam all the time and not me? Were you and Sam, you know… married or something?"_

Dean's hand slowly lifted to touch the spot that Castiel's had brushed over.

"_Wait, Winchester? Really? Does that mean we're related?"_

"_In a way, I suppose… No."_

He'd changed his mind so fast back then. And the conversation before that had covered how Castiel had been treating him unfairly, that if they were going to act like they were related then he'd have to continue the ill treatment. At that point Dean couldn't figure out why Cas was so awful to him and not Sam. It was assumed that if Castiel was married to one of the Winchesters then he'd be loving toward them.

'_But Cas' husband tried to kill him. He wouldn't treat them well after something like that.'_ Dean thought as he stared into the distance, though his eyes hadn't seen anything besides the memories playing across his mind. "It was me…" he whispered distantly. "He was married to a-"

"Dean!" Sam's voice shattered his concentration, "Come on, I found one, let's go!"

Dean shook his head and looked up again, staring at Castiel who stood next to Sam, the other priest returning his gaze the way he'd always done. Was there something he should say? Something he should do? He had no idea.

"Dean!"

"Coming!" He called and hurried to catch up, he'd deal with it later.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**My little way of saying 'sorry for the expose' I guess hahaha. I noticed Cas does a lot of it XD**

**Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you think so far. I'd like a critique or feedback or even a suggestion of what you'd like to see! Please and thank you of course ;)**


	20. Ugly Duckling World: You Like Him

**Author's Note:**

**Heya guys! Thanks for all the feedback, I appreciate it! Really, it helps me write the next chapters better (I now know what was bugging you all ha ha ha) This next world's based in was a popular fic so I hope to do it some justice (I had a reader that once wanted me to do a sequel and I told them to do it, for their benefit since it isn't out yet I'm basing this story after that time period to leave some room for it)**

**Oh, also the Fragments of Memories sections aren't in any particular order right now, they're just sort of there.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Fragments of Memories:_

_Dean brushed a hand through Castiel's hair, over and over again as he tried to soothe him. "It's okay," he whispered tiredly, his own mind already telling him that was the wrong thing to say. "Cas, baby, it's okay."_

"_How?" Castiel snapped his head up, tears streaming down his cheeks, "He was fine two days ago! How is it okay? How can you of all people say that?"_

"_Sam's a tough kid, he'll be fine." Dean whispered and Castiel finally realized the look on his lover's face; the amount of pain there was unbelievable. Dean looked destroyed, worn down and ruined. Cas sniveled and wiped his eyes, trying his hardest to pull himself back together._

"_I'm sorry," He sobbed, "Dean, I'm so sorry."_

_Dean smiled sadly and pulled him against his chest, "It's okay, Cas."_

* * *

**Ugly Duckling World: Part 1**

Music blasted across the house, no one was home but him and no one else needed to be. Castiel turned the volume up and started his house cleaning chores as per usual. The intro boiled his blood and energized his limbs as the first hints of Fall Out Boy started to slip into the mix. He'd always been an 'Adam Lambert' kind of guy but he just couldn't help himself and really he could add whatever he wanted to his iPod. Cas started with the kitchen moving plates and putting things away. As always he broke into song when he had the chance. "B-B-Be careful making wishes in the dark-dark, can't be sure when they'll hit their-" He swung his hip and closed a drawer to emphasize the verse's beat "-mark."

That morning had been amazing, he'd woken with Dean's work alarm and managed to make a decent meal before his husband had gotten ready to leave. Their house was kind of big for two people but it didn't really matter He danced to the stereo's beat, every movement matching up as if he'd breathed the tune like air. "Gonna need a spark to ignite. My songs know what you did in the dark." His hip sway slowed along with the music, all work stopped when the next part of the song pounded across the house. The young man rocking out to one of his new favourite song, Castiel cried out the lyrics on time, within the rhythm and even in key.

Castiel went back to the kitchen after his little rock session, still singing loudly to himself as he filled the sink, all dishes piled to the left with the drying basin to his right. Cas didn't admit it most of the time but when he had a system for something he was a little OCD about it, the night before he'd tried to wash dishes with Dean and had nearly lost it when Dean did it the other way. Instead he'd coaxed him to bed without even mentioning he'd had an issue, insisting that they have sex instead and that he'd get to it the next day.

Obviously Dean had no qualms with the request, and Castiel managed to avoid a fight. Win win situation.

He was in the process of drying the dishes when he felt the floorboards shake. Cas looked down briefly, as if that would make a difference. He then looked out the window to see if there were more people than just him experiencing it. A silly thought, he realized that but it didn't stop the thought from occurring. He stared out at the sky, nothing seemed different, the other houses looked fine, so why were his floorboards quaking? The entire house had groaned in reaction to it but after the first few seconds nothing else happened. What's more it had groaned loud enough that Castiel could hear it over his music.

Cas stood in silence for a few seconds, moving to the living room to turn the volume down to a near whisper. His eyes scanned around as his limbs stiffened, was someone in the house? "Dean?" He called out hesitantly, "Is that you?"

There was a loud grunt followed by a rustling and a thud, the closet door upstairs sounded like it had crashed open and someone had fallen out, if Cas had to guess. He grabbed a large knife from their stainless steel set and moved to the bottom of the stairs, "Who's up there? I have a weapon and a phone, I'll call the police!" He shouted roughly, a little displeased with the way his voice shook.

"Don't be scared," it was Dean's voice.

"Oh my god, you asshole!" Cas cried and dropped his arms in relief, hurrying up the stairs to see what was going on. "Why didn't you just say yes when I asked if it was you?"

"Sorry, guess I didn't hear you."

Cas slowed his pace for a moment, staring at the weird coat Dean was wearing, "Why are you home?" He laughed softly, kneeling next to Dean and brushing a bit of lint from his shoulders. "I thought you were working until six tonight."

"Uh," Dean swallowed nervously and started to get up and away from Cas, "Yeah about that uhm-"

"Did you get fired?" Cas stared at him, slowly getting up and seemingly unfazed by Dean's skittish behaviour.

The priest fidgeted a second, unable to come up with something to say. He was entirely frazzled, he hadn't even had a chance to gather his wits about Castiel before he was face to face with another one. And this one appeared much more affectionate than the one he already knew.

"Ohh, baby it's okay." Cas cooed and wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing his cheek and trailing several to his ear, "Don't be so embarrassed, how long have you been hiding this?" They weren't really questions to be addressed since Cas' hands found their way up Dean's shirt, massaging the stiff muscles in slow, soothing circles. "Don't worry, I'll make you feel better." His voice was so confident, smooth, and sexy it was starting to burn right up from Dean's neck to his ears. Cas' tongue slipped out to lick at the sweat gathering on his neck and Dean gasped lightly before pulling away and quickly shook his head.

"Cas, wait a second." He expected the other man to try and continue without listening, thinking maybe he was just feeling guilty or some crap but Castiel actually stopped and looked at him with concern.

"What's wrong, babe?"

"I'm not... I mean... This is going to sound really crazy." Dean fumbled through his words, mostly trying to get his head in the game. What had Castiel done the first time when there were no evident threats or things to take care of? He just sat on a statue and waited.

"Go on," Cas urged reassuringly, like he was earnestly listening and waiting for Dean's explanation.

Dean swallowed and dared to look into the blue eyes that looked like they held all the patience in the world for him. "You... you're really a great partner, you know that?" He managed to choke out which earned him an adorable little smile.

"Cute, Dean. But really, what's going on? Did you not get fired? Are you playing hooky?" He leaned forward accusingly, "If you're just playing hooky and I find out you'd rather sneak out of the house and back in to scare me, so help me Dean Winchester I'll-"

"It's not like that." Dean waved his hands urgently. "Cas give me a second to get my head in order, please?"

"Alright, you have a few moments. In the meantime I'm going to finish the dishes." He smiled a little and lifted his arms up, "Can I get a hug at least, mister sensitive?"

Dean looked uncomfortable but agreed all the same, spreading his arms just as Castiel pressed himself into the embrace. The priest swallowed anxiously and hugged back, not very convincingly.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble." Cas chuckled and snuck another kiss in before heading back to the stairs, "Don't act so frightened around me."

"Uh… yeah. Sorry." Dean watched the spirited male trot down to the main floor and out of sight, finally able to exhale fully. "The hell was that, Winchester?" He grumbled to himself, looking around the immediate area. At least he was busy working now; despite that being Castiel downstairs it wasn't _his_ partner. The Cas that was married to a Dean, his life nearly taken by his husband. He was running this through his mind several times as his eyes focused in on a family photo, Castiel and himself smiling at the camera – at a wedding. Their wedding. Dean leaned in close and stared harder, they looked so young, like they'd just gotten out of high school or something.

"Oh my god…" Dean sputtered as he backed away; he was not ready for this. Everywhere. Everywhere he went there were Castiels and Deans and they were all together or in the middle of getting together, but they had a distinct relationship. Each and every time. It was unnerving, and he knew that his mind wouldn't let him get away from the thought of what Castiel had said right before all of this; the celestials cause things to happen. Was this some kind of a sign? Dean had acknowledged, though briefly, that he might have had a crush on Castiel earlier. Was it really something he could ignore and say 'coincidence' to?

Every world they'd been to had hinted at it or threw it in their faces, and recently he gets the news that sometimes the celestials set them up? Dean was _being set up by holy beings_. It was ridiculous, wasn't it? Wasn't it? He couldn't really think of anything more ridiculous than running around with a morphing weapon hiding in his magic trench coat. Was he really in a position to question it? Not really.

"You've been just standing there for about five minutes, you know that right?" Castiel called up the stairs, a cocky little smirk on his face. "Get down here, gorgeous. I deserve some answers."

Dean listened, obediently descending to the main floor and looking at how domestic Castiel was, the mussy bedhead, a wet shirt from doing dishes by hand, and those same goddamn eyes. Every time he felt like they could see right through him. And now everything about this striking version of Cas was staring at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Sweetheart? Today would be nice."

"Right, well let's start with that," Dean regained his footing. Better to be forceful about this if he was going to be serious at all. If he were going to honestly consider his feelings for _his_ Castiel then he needed to be forward with this one, regardless of how cute and affectionate he was. "I'm not your sweetheart."

Evidently he hadn't considered his own words before he'd uttered them because the next thing he saw were tears edging up and threatening to fall over Castiel's cheeks. "You… what?" He croaked, his expression had nearly torn itself apart; the distress had taken up his entire body let alone just his face. "Dean?"

"Wait, hold on don't cry!" Dean found himself floundering again, where were his words today? He had no idea. "Cas, I'm trying to tell you I'm not the Dean you know."

"Are you trying to say I don't know you anymore?" Cas squeaked, his hands coming up to his mouth to cover it, "Just tell me, please. I'll do my best to understand, honest. Baby, please-"

Dean gently laid a hand on Castiel's shoulder and shook his head, "Cas, that's not what I mean either. _Your_ Dean is at work, just like you thought. Call there, I swear he'll answer."

Castiel stared at him for a long moment before speaking again, "Is this some kind of joke?" He furrowed his brow, starting to lose the humour he'd had before. "Dean-"

"Just call."

Cas reluctantly pulled his cell from the back pocket of his jeans, the same jeans Dean couldn't help but check out, and dialed the number. He kept an eye on Dean's face as it rang, the shop where his husband worked clicking to life on the other end. "Yes, hello it's Cas… Hi! Yeah, I'm fine. Is Dean there?" Cas' face turned nearly white as he got his answer, his throat bobbing anxiously before he spoke again, "Uhm… yes, could I speak to him please? I know he's busy- Thank you." He waited for Dean to pick up the other line, his eyes staring harder at the man standing in front of him. The priest smiled reassuringly, thinking he was doing a good job at explaining this time around.

"_Cas?"_

"Dean…" Cas nodded at the Dean in his house as if he understood that they weren't the same person, Dean relaxing and running a hand through his hair. Cas fiddled with the phone a bit as he turned toward the kitchen and wandered in, away from the other Dean for a moment. "Dean, baby there's a man here." His whisper sounding strained.

"_What do you mean? Cas who's there? Why do you sound scared?"_

"Because…" Cas glanced back again, curling his bottom lip in to bit it, "He looks _exactly_ like you, he _sounds_ like you. His name is Dean too, I'm scared."

Dean looked over from the hall and recognized the terrified look on Castiel's face, "Cas," he tried to speak slowly, "Cas, it's okay I swear I'm not here to hurt you."

Cas stared at him as his husband flipped out on the other end, asking a ton of questions he didn't really know the answer to and starting to pack up and head home, if the sounds on the other end were any indication. _"Did you call the cops?"_

"No, I called you." Castiel's voice was a little stronger this time, "Dean, I don't… I don't think he's dangerous."

"_Cas, there's a man that looks like me but isn't me standing in front of you. I've seen enough horror movies to know that this can't be a good thing."_

"Calm down, I think I've got this." Cas tried to sound a little more reassuring this time, "If you want to get home that's up to you but I'm not in any danger so don't get into any car accidents on your way home, okay?"

"_Cas…"_ Dean sounded frustrated but reluctantly agreeing.

"Good, I'll see you later babe. Thanks for talking to me when I needed you."

The line was quiet for a bit but Cas knew Dean couldn't stay mad at him, _"You'd better be okay when I get there."_

"I'll be fine, maybe I'll bake a pie for you." Cas teased before giving his send off and hanging up the phone. "Alright," he looked at Dean standing across from him, "You're obviously not my Dean, who are you? Why'd you let me kiss you so much? Are you some kind of dimension travelling pervert?"

Cas' questions came at him like rapid fire and Dean almost cracked a laugh at the little look of disgust and shock that took over Castiel's face. "I was distracted, I know a Castiel too and he's never done that so I was-"

"Awwww you like him!" Castiel cooed excitedly, clapping his hands together and jumping just a little bit. Dean was starting to realize just how much more flamboyant this Castiel was compared to all the others he'd run into. "That's so cute, I know that longing 'I'll take what I can get' tone you've got going there."

"I don't-!" Dean stopped himself to ask the question that Castiel was bound to say.

"You don't what?"

"I don't… know. I don't know yet."

"That's even more adorable." Cas grinned from ear to ear, a smile even brighter than the ones Dean had seen along the way. Whatever rough patches those other Castiel's had gone through in their lives, either this one never experienced it or he'd gotten over it somehow. Regardless it was amazing to see him so lit up like that. "Dean, it's not a matter of not knowing if you like him. You're uncertain of his feelings for you or whether or not you should share yours, or both. You're worried I'd bet."

Dean frowned and shook his head, "You don't know the first thing about the situation."

"No, but if there's anything I _do_ know, it's a dynamic between a Castiel," he touched his own chest for emphasis, "and a Dean. You're in it, baby, whether you want to be or not. You already know, somewhere in that thick skull of yours, that you'd do anything for him, especially if he needed you."

There was nothing he could say to that, Castiel sounded so sure of himself.

"And now I know why you let me touch you, even if it was only for a little while. In fact, you pushing me away tells me even more."

"Like what?" The demanding level of Dean's tone was escalating; he was starting to get defensive.

Cas smiled and walked into the living room to drop onto the couch, "Well you liked it, I know you did because I have a husband that looks, sounds, and kinda acts just like you. Your skin started flushing pink, especially down your neck and chest. You made those little gasping sounds like you're trying to stay in control but you really don't want to-"

"Enough, what about me pushing you away?" Dean tried to ignore the fact that Castiel hadn't been wrong yet.

"You know I'm not your Castiel and that bothered you enough to stop me."

The words sunk in and again Dean was left standing silent, lost in thought and a blown mind. He knew he had a crush but this was insinuating something further. Did he really like Cas that much? "That workaholic, self righteous bastard? No way. You've got it wrong."

"Now you're insulting him to distance yourself from thinking about him, especially in a kind light." Cas pointed out, matter-of-factly like he was reading a recipe.

"Shut up!"

"You're out of arguments so you tell me to shut up."

Dean opened his mouth but realized the only thing he would have said to that was either another 'shut up' or 'fuck you'. "Stop it…"

"Sorry," Cas turned and looked at him with that smile again, "I just don't care much for bullshit, or bullies. If you like him, then like him and tell him so. Hurting him won't help you, and neither will lying to yourself."

Dean wasn't sure if he'd ever heard more helpful words from Sam Winchester himself, and that kid was good at the whole 'words of wisdom' thing. "Cas," He smiled a little and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I… You're right. I like him."

Castiel brightened and nodded eagerly, "So tell him?"

"I can't."

Deflated would be an understatement for Cas' sudden mood swing. "Why?"

"Because he used to be married to a Dean and… that Dean tried to kill him." He was having a hard time explaining but it all made sense in his head. "I've barely been able to keep him from hating me outright. I can't say I like him, it'll-"

"You _can_." Cas urged, not caring how many times he'd interrupted. "Dean, you don't know him that well yet but if he's being mean to you because of what some other Dean did, then he's trying to separate the two of you but he can't quite do it. He likes you, I really think that."

"Do you play match maker with your friends?"

"Yes." Cas answered curtly but brushed it aside like it meant nothing, "Just try it."

"I have a bad feeling about that…" Dean fidgeted with the edges of his coat, "He's still really hurt by it. What if me saying that makes it worse?"

Cas paused and sat back on the couch, staring at the wall for a moment. "Then… gambling is your best bet. You'll get nowhere if you don't do anything."

"But isn't nowhere better than backward?"

"Well, if you can spend the rest of your life knowing you love this guy but never told him then by all means, continue with how you're doing things."

And that shut him right up.


	21. Ugly Duckling World: Stanford University

_Fragments of Memories_

_A sharp scream echoed across the house, cut short by high-pitched laughter. Castiel squirmed on the bed as Dean's hands pinched up his sides and tickled as his legs, finding every opportunity to catch his baby off guard. Cas shrieked again and tried to swat the stronger man away but it had no effect, Dean continued the tickling onslaught without slowing down. _

"_DEAN!" Cas cried again, this time attempting to weasel off the mattress but his hips were caught and he was dragged back far too easily. "Oh my god! Stop!" Tears stung at his eyes as he laughed and wiggled, unable to break free. _

"_Not on your life, gorgeous." Dean grinned maliciously._

* * *

**Ugly Duckling World: Part 2**

Sam sighed lightly, lying in his bed and staring at the ceiling like it held all the answers. College was just like he'd thought it'd be, hard work and studying and classes and no social life. That didn't make it fun or easy, but it was necessary. One year was finally over, a lot of blood sweat and tears later he was worn out. And at the same time it wasn't so bad; Gabriel had gotten into the same dorm as him so there was never a dull moment.

The reason he was looking for answers in the oddly tiled ceiling of his dorm? His summer break had come up, his exams now over as of that morning, whom should he go to see first? Or should he go to see anyone and just take summer courses? Four months off sounded nice but also sounded like _too much time_ to spend slacking.

Gabriel would want to go and do something, more than anything he'd want to get out of the school. Maybe he could call Dean up and they could stay with him and Castiel, take up their guest room and spend the summer there. Or travelling, he could definitely ask Cas for some money and he and Gabe could go to Europe or something. Hell, Cas and Dean could probably even join them; it'd be like a double date but a whole vacation. Maybe a cabin on a lake? Get away from cities and people and spend some time camping.

Sam's contemplations were cut short when a much shorter but excitable man jumped onto his bed and dropped heavily over his middle. He wheezed as the air burst out of him, shoving Gabriel off his stomach and over to the side of the bed, "What's with the star gazing face?" Gabriel smirked, popping up in Sam's vision like a mosquito that just wouldn't let you sleep.

"I'm trying to figure out what to do with our summer," Sam smirked and rolled over, shoving Gabriel down into the bed and leaning over him, "How'd your last exam go?"

"Excellent," The cocky smile was more telling than the words he used, but the funny sounding accent Gabriel attempted to spice it up with only made Sam laugh.

"You're more of a dork than I remember."

"Says Sam Winchester. Kind of like the pot calling-"

Sam interrupted his boyfriend's babbling with a kiss, holding it longer until Gabriel hopefully had forgotten his words. "Shut up," he muttered after breaking away, his hair slipping past his ear and tickling Gabriel's nose.

"You need a hair cut." The smaller male sputtered, trying to brush the long locks away.

"You too," Sam grunted a chuckle as he pulled himself up and off the bed, heading to the bathroom.

"Pfft! Says the one that looks like modern Jesus! Sam of Nazareth! Jesus Winchester, son of John and the virgin Mary-"

"Stop!" Sam laughed from the other room, turning the sink on and leaning forward to wash his face. He let the water run for a bit longer, leaning over the counter and letting the streams drip down his cheeks, following the creases of his face to drip off his nose and chin. He remained that way for a few moments when he heard Gabriel cry out in what sounded like surprise but could easily be mistaken. Sam's head snapped up and when he saw the mirror again he saw _himself_ standing behind him. Spinning around to see if it was real he'd lost his breath when he came face to face with another him, stumbling back against the counter and catching himself was all he could do.

"Hi," the other Sam tried to smile innocently, "Didn't uh… mean to freak you out there."

"SAM! SAM THEY FELL THROUGH THE CEILING AND WALL, SAM!" Gabriel shrieked, "WITCHES! THE LOT OF THEM!"

"Calm down," Sam heard Castiel's voice in the other room and what sounded like Jet laughing. "We're here on a mission."

"Burn the witch," Jet muttered through his snickering, earning himself some kind of a smack by the sound of it.

"What the hell is going on?" The university student managed to choke out, his other self glancing toward the other room fondly. "Who… What are you?"

"We're humans, just uh… one of us has some special abilities. We travel dimensions and realities."

Sam stared at his face, really stared. He knew his own lying expressions and from what he could tell this really wasn't one of them. "You're serious?"

"Yeah, can you explain some other way why there's a second you standing right here?"

Sassy too. They couldn't be all that different. "Well… no. I guess not… But this- you're impossible. This can't be happening for real."

"Get over it, kiddo, 'cause it is." Jet emerged in the doorway, though it wasn't the same Jet he knew. This one looked different, possibly even younger though maybe that was because of a different past.

"Where's your brother?" Castiel looked in and this one Sam knew could _never_ be the same one. His voice was rough, his eyes were hardened and his posture was less than approachable.

"At work, probably." Sam swallowed anxiously, his survival instincts telling him to give them what they wanted, these strange men who appeared out of nowhere. But the protectiveness over his family warned him not to give them anything.

"Is he with Castiel?" This Cas asked without skipping a beat?

"Yeah," Gabriel answered next and Sam wished he could give him a smack in the arm. "They're together, wedding rings and all."

The other Sam smiled and glanced at the two he was travelling with, wanting to see their reactions to it. However his smile faded the moment he spotted how dismal Castiel had become over this news.

"Where do they live?"

"Why should we tell you?" Sam blurted out before Gabriel could say anything more. "What do you want with them?"

All three strangers rolled their eyes and exchanged a three-way glance before looking back at him. "To eat them." Jet said sarcastically and once again earning a hit to the shoulder for it.

"We need to speak with him." Castiel spoke earnestly and to the point.

"Why would dimension travellers find my brother and his family so important?"

"Because it's generally a pattern." The other Sam shrugged, "I don't know why but Dean and Cas are significant people each time and we always generally end up with one or both of them." He looked at the other two and huffed out a laugh, "For some reason there's three of us here now so that means Dean's got to be with one of them."

"My money's on him being with the Cas." Jet grinned, moving away from Castiel's next swing.

"So if they're the important ones, why are you here with us?" Gabriel asked and Sam knew he was wearing that scrutinizing face where he squinted both eyes and angled his head away for dramatic flare.

"Who are you, even?" Jet looked at Gabe with the same kind of flare.

"That's my boyfriend," Sam pushed past them from the bathroom and went to the other's side.

"Name's Gabriel, now answer my question."

Castiel smirked a little at him, like he kind of knew the guy from somewhere, and the way he was looking at the couple made both Sam's uncomfortable. "We're here with the two of you because Sam is related to Dean and is a significant person in his life. We seem to wind up with people who are most likely to meet up with each other."

"What is it that you do again?"

"Dimension travel, saving the world and stuff." Jet answered this time, making it sound like no big deal.

Sam and Gabriel looked at one another for a moment before the former decided to ask further questions. "From what?"

"Monsters, generally." Castiel left it at something a little simpler. "Now where are they? We're missing someone from our group and he'd end up there."

"_Monsters_?"

"Yes, now where's Dean?"

Sam could have not answered, left it at 'I'm not telling you' and possibly get into some really bad trouble, but he knew Dean. Dean would be undeniably pissed with him for taking a fall like that, for trying to deal with something like this without him.

"He lives on the outskirts of Los Angeles, it's a Hollywood thing."

Cas furrowed his brow and glanced out the window, "And… where are we?"

"Stanford University, it's a five hour drive to their place."

Jet grinned at his comrades for a moment before looking over at Sam and Gabriel, "I don't suppose you guys have a vehicle?"

"We do…" Gabriel eyed Jet's expression before lighting up with his own, "I don't suppose you're interested in a… road trip?"

"Let's do it!" Jet clapped his hands and headed for the door, Gabriel right on his heels.

The remaining three rolled their eyes and followed suit, knowing there really wasn't another way around this one.

* * *

"I'm in the de-details with the devil," Cas sung softly to himself, his fingers tapping his thigh lightly as they sat together, Dean glancing over at him every now and then.

"You like to sing, huh?"

"Damn right I do," Castiel smiled and looked up, "Songs, music, it helped me through a difficult time in my life. I just kept singing through it all, the music helped energize and empower me." His smile widened as he motioned toward a few photos on the wall, "I even made a career out of it. I'm only starting to get noticed out there but it's picking up."

Dean smiled a little but couldn't help the confusion that spread across his face. "You went through hard times?"

Cas snorted at the earnestness of Dean's question. "Doesn't everybody?"

"Well, yeah, I mean of course but… well all the Castiel's I've met so far have gone through something hard as well but none of them are as happy as you."

"How many other Castiel's have you met?"

Dean shrugged, "Good question, ten or more at least."

Castiel nodded quietly and stared at the wall for a second or two, "I can't imagine meeting that many Dean's… I mean it'd drive me crazy, you know? Because they'd all kind of look like my Dean but none of them would quite act right or know the right things. I don't think there's another Dean in existence that would treat me the exact same way, but that's probably not bad. I mean there are other Castiel's for them and they're probably all different too."

"They are, none of them are the same and yet they all have some things in common." Dean grinned in remembrance of the different occasions he'd already been part of, "I remember the first time I saw a Cas smile for real… I don't even really know if it was my Cas or a different one."

The grin that spread Castiel's lips only made Dean tilt his head in confusion. "Yours?" Cas asked simply.

"My what?"

"Your Cas? You're calling him yours already, I just find it sweet." He sighed lightly and leaned back on the couch, looking at an abstract art piece hanging on the wall. Dean looked at it too and from what he could tell it looked like a broken plate glued in place. It took the shape of a swan, though it was fairly abstract Dean could make that much out. The background was beautifully washed over with a rainbow of colours, the whole thing framed and put on display. "My Dean and I had a lot of rough patches we had to get through in order to be where we are. I never used to be this happy but all of that mess, that pain, it was worth it. Just to wake up and see him there beside me."

Dean looked at the surreal expression Cas wore, watching the way his eyes drifted and thought for a moment he'd misjudged this happy-go-lucky Castiel. Assuming he was so happy and carefree, that he'd gone through absolutely no pain, not like the others. But he was wrong, this Cas had done it, he had pushed through it all and came out on the other side. The other Castiel's got stuck somewhere along the way. "You really think the hurt was worth it?"

"Every second of it." Cas looked at him then and Dean could see the sunlight streaming in through the venetian blinds behind him, haloing his form in a soft glow that only seemed fitting for an angel. "Dean, judging by what you've told me, telling your Cas how you feel isn't going to be easy for you to say. But even if you manage to get the words out I'm not so sure he'll react cleanly, nothing's black and white and your situation sounds more grey than mine ever did." He reached forward and took Dean's hand in his, "That doesn't mean you give up after the first hurdle trips you, you're not sprinting this thing, Castiel is a marathon running and you're gonna have to get him at the finish line."

Part of Dean thought the metaphor was ridiculous but the rest of him nodded his agreement. He understood the implications, it wasn't going to be easy and he shouldn't give up just because it gets tough. That made sense. But was it ever so simply cut? "What if he never says yes?"

"I don't think that'll happen," The gentle way his voice washed through the room was calming, something about it sounded certain and Dean could really appreciate certainty at that point. "You've met several Castiel's and Dean's, were they all together?"

"Yeah… how'd you guess?"

"Because I've always believed that Dean and I were meant to be, and that in any lifetime we would have found each other."

Dean was about to respond when the front door swung open, "Cas!?" Dean, the one with a ring on his finger, bellowed into the house at the top of his lungs, demanding and frightened. And it was understandable, his fear, some stranger in his house with his husband could easily end in tears.

"I'm right in the living room, Dean." Cas called over, the nonchalant way he went about it made the priest chuckle. It was amusing the way he'd just brushed off his partner's extreme amounts of concern with the simple use of tone. And what was better none of it sounded sarcastic or insulting, just calmly informing him of the location.

"Are you alright-" The other Dean froze when he spotted himself, a second pair of footsteps following him until Jet appeared as well.

The other man blinked several times before finding the words to react, "Holy shit dude you weren't kidding." Jet muttered in surprise, staring at a doppelganger of his best friend.

Dean, the priest, smiled a little and gave a wave. This was the first Jet he'd met that wasn't tagging along with him; it was interesting to see an alternate version of the hotheaded jackass he'd known for years. "Yeah, hi I'm Dean."

"We can see that, thanks." Jet replied sarcastically, that scrutinizing look on his face. It made Dean laugh more than anything, he'd seen Jet use that face so many times on people he thought had made a stupid remark or asked a stupid question. It was not at all weird to see it used on him, Dean had said more than a few stupid things around Jet. "_How_ are you another Dean?"

"Dimension travelling, mostly." Dean did his best to keep a straight face while saying it; he'd already gotten better at explaining compared to the first time. It was odd, Cas had said not to if he didn't have to but it seemed every situation required it.

"He's insane." Jet turned and looked at Cas, "You're sitting in a room with a psychopath."

"He's really not crazy," Castiel smirked, "I believe him."

"Why?" His husband snapped protectively, "You don't know him-"

"But I _do_." Cas stood and looked at his Dean disapprovingly, "I really do know him and everything he's done so far makes sense to me. Dean isn't lying, I don't know what's going on exactly but I know that he's not lying about this."

The two stared at one another, a silent exchange that only had Jet side step closer to the stranger and lean over, "Kind of weird to see from the other side of things, huh?"

"Yeah," Dean snickered, "Just a bit."


	22. Ugly Duckling World: We Care About You

**Author's Note:**

**Three cheers for lots of dialogue! Oh my lord is anyone else having difficulties figuring out which Dean/Cas/Sam/Jet is talking? I try to make it obvious but sometimes it gets so repetitive XP**

**Also no one who has read Ugly Duckling made a comment on Wilson the plate! XD  
**

* * *

_Fragments of Memories_

_It was quiet, the park was empty and all Cas could do was chew on the inside of his cheek in thought. He'd been meaning to say something, anything that might ease the pain. Losing Sam had been hard on both of them and if it hadn't been for Cas' presence, he knew Dean wouldn't be there anymore either. But what could he say about it? What could he tell Dean that would make it hurt less? Only a few things came to mind. "I love you." He sighed into the wind and let it take his words wherever they wanted. It didn't even matter if Dean heard it, not really. But he had all the same._

"_I love you too." Dean reached over and took his hand, giving him a bit of a start. They'd barely spoken much in the last few weeks; all of their interactions had been quiet and short since Sam had passed. It was nice to hear Dean's voice again. "I'll always love you, Cas. I… I need to thank you."_

"_For what?" Cas smiled sweetly and looked up and could swear he saw a desperate wave of emotions crashing behind Dean's eyes. _

"_For keeping me alive."_

* * *

**Ugly Duckling World: Part 3**

"Are we really still arguing about this?" Cas growled, refusing to back down this time. "Dean, he's not evil and he's not going to kill us. If he had wanted me dead I would be, okay?"

"I'm not letting us get involved in this crazy shit, alright? I'm already uncomfortable enough being so close to a huge city-"

"Oh this is about me doing the Hollywood thing? If you have such a problem with it just tell me!"

"That's not it, Cas. I said I'm uncomfortable with a big city, not with your career." Dean tried to back it up a bit and get the track to where it was, not wanting to argue about this again.

"Then you're afraid of something big happening to us, I understand that but we can't just ignore this! We're not kicking him out and that's final." Cas squared his shoulders, his voice taking on that commanding tone that both Dean's shuddered at.

Dean opened his mouth to argue when his phone rang and interrupted. The lovers stared at one another until he yielded and answered, "Hello, Dean speaking."

"_Hey Dean, it's Sam."_

"Sammy! I'm glad to hear from you," He relaxed a bit and turned away toward the kitchen, fully trusting Jet in the room with the stranger and his husband. "How's college?"

"_It's pretty good, finished my finals this morning. Anyway, something's up and I kinda need your help."_

"What's going on?" The way his posture and tone changed so suddenly made the priest smile, caring for Sam was such a strong impulse and universal among all Dean's.

"_These three people appeared in our dorm and said some crazy stuff. They wanted to know where you lived so I'm taking them there. We've kinda been travelling for an hour or so and it'll be another four before we get to your place. Just wanted to warn you ahead of time."_

"Who are they? Are they forcing you to take them? Are you hurt?"

"_No, Dean. I'm fine. Gabriel and I offered to take them-"_

"Why would you do that Sam? You don't even know these people!" It seemed like Dean's only argument at that moment, and as legitimate as it sounded, neither his husband nor little brother took it as the right answer.

"_Dean, it's okay. This is gonna sound weird, but I do know them."_

"You know these…" Dean paused for a second and looked over at his other self perched on the couch next to his significant other. "Sam… are they duplicates?"

The silence on the other end dragged out for several moments before Sam replied, _"Yeah… how'd you know?"_

"I got one too, looks like me." Dean sighed and ran his hand down his face, "What do they say they do?"

"_Dimension travel, save the world stuff."_

"So it's not just this one… What the hell is going on?"

The other Dean lit up for a second then grew extremely pale, "My friends are with your brother? A Cas too?"

"Sam is there a Cas with you?"

"_Yeah, and Jet and another me. It's really weird actually."_

"Tell me about it. All right, drive safe and keep me posted. Don't you dare let me sit here for the next five hours waiting to see if you're still alive." He instructed and rolled his eyes as Cas was certain Sam did on the other end.

"_Okay, Dean. I'll see you later."_

And just like that the phone call was over. Dean looked over at the priest's wide eyes and drained face, a smirk coming over his own. "What's the matter?" He'd seen that face before, back in his graduating year of high school when Castiel had come home. The moment he'd seen Cas at that convenience store it had been stone, his heart leapt in his chest and after that all he could think of was Castiel. But he had been terrified, for the things he'd done, the things he hadn't, and the things he'd have to say next. "It's Cas, isn't it?" He asked with a smirk.

His counterpart nodded and looked away, "You can tell too, huh?"

"I'm telling you, it's Cas. That baby is dynamite, doesn't matter what dimension he's from."

Castiel blushed lightly and turned his head away, he couldn't stop the smile that had encroached on his lips. "Dean, you're a terrible flirt."

Dean went behind his husband and wrapped his arms around Cas' slender frame, kissing down his neck playfully. "I know," he breathed into Castiel's ear and felt every little goosebump that beaded up the other man's skin. "I'm sorry for arguing with you."

"You're just scared, I know." Cas gasped and turned his head to return the kisses. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Would you guys stop?" Dean fidgeted with his coat again, something about being able to stick his hand into an infinite space repeatedly felt soothing. "I feel like I'm going to lose my lunch over here."

"I hope that's not because we're together and more because you're worried about seeing your Cas." Castiel said playfully though there was an undertone, more of a threat lurking if Dean were upset with seeing homosexuality so open.

"Well… yeah, I mean when he gets here I don't know what I should say to him." Dean sighed and ran his hand down his face, "I don't think he knows I know about his past husband so should I start with that or should I not bring that up at all? Do I just say 'hey I like you'?"

"Do it when it feels right," The other Dean replied matter-of-factly, as if his counterpart were an idiot. "Don't just spring that stuff on him, it can be a little rattling and make situations awkward. Also get him alone, don't do it in front of other people unless he's a really public kind of guy."

"He isn't."

"Thought not."

"Well let's eat something while we wait," Cas strolled toward the kitchen, the sway in his hips a little more amplified because he knew there were at least two sets of eyes drawn to it. "Sandwiches sound okay?"

"As long as there's meat involved." Both Dean muttered in reply, glancing at each other with a bit of a laugh.

"Of course." Cas rolled his eyes and went straight to the bread bag.

* * *

It was a tight fit, to say the least. The group of five travelled in Sam and Gabriel's car without much of a problem other than the special issue. They'd done a bit of measuring for both Sam's, figuring out that the dimension travelling one was slightly smaller and therefore one of the ones crammed in the back, along with Castiel and Gabriel. Jet and the other Sam sat comfortably up front, trying not to gloat about it. Smallest people go in the back, that only made sense if there were three bodies that needed to be smushed into the same space.

Castiel and Gabriel were insistent on taking window seats and Sam wasn't about to argue, even though he would have preferred not to sit on the highest point in the backseat. Longer legs means more trouble fitting into little spaces, and wouldn't you know his legs weren't exactly considered short. Sam adjusted himself subtly every now and then as he glanced out the windows and over at the other passengers. There wasn't a lot of conversation happening and he wasn't entirely sure he should start any on a five-hour road trip.

His eyes drifted over to Gabriel after a few moments of boredom taking over. He'd never met a 'Gabriel' before but in this world his other self was in a relationship with one. He kind of wanted to know why, what made Gabriel dateable, what made him attractive to the other Sam? Part of him wanted to ask the questions but the socially aware part informed the rest of him that it just wouldn't look right. Plus the other Sam was present in the car, would be sort of awkward.

Of course, Gabriel didn't have the same social graces as Sam and, after fiddling in his seat with the same bored feeling, he turned and looked up at his not-boyfriend Sam with a smile. "So, do you know a different me?"

"Actually no, in the several worlds we've visited I've never met you before." Sam smiled back, still trying to figure it out without asking.

"I have." Castiel sighed heavily, his forehead resting against the glass of his window. He rolled his head to look at them and nearly made Sam laugh with the disapproving expression he wore. "Annoying is the only word I've got for him."

"What!?" Gabriel feigned offended for a few seconds, "What makes me annoying?"

"I didn't say you specifically but you have similar traits, so I suppose it's close enough." Cas looked back out the window at the landscape drifting by. "He was always in my face but that's not what bugged me. He was selfish, he didn't consider anyone other than himself when he made choices and the last time I saw him was before this all started."

Sam's face tightened a little as he realized Castiel had just let him hear a little something about his past. It was rare and Sam would take whatever he could get, eventually he'd put the puzzle together.

"Before what started?" Gabriel leaned over and was promptly pushed back by Sam.

"Before the dimension travel," Sam explained in Cas' place, knowing that much at least.

"What did I- er… he do?"

"He was in a relationship with a close friend of mine and went on a trip, alone. He knew that my friend was a little sick but he went anyway, it was a trip they would have gone on together had the illness not been so bad." Cas' face was turned away as he spoke but Sam didn't need to see it to know what kind of expression he was making. The low growl in his voice said enough without his facial features added to it. "He never came back, either. I thought maybe I'd have to explain to him how his boyfriend had passed away while he was gone but I never did. Gabriel never came back."

Jet glanced at the backseat and looked at Sam, each sharing the same tense look as they realized Castiel wasn't a fan of Gabriel.

"That doesn't sound like him," Sam, the driver, spoke up next. "I don't know what kind of reality you lived in, but from the little bit that I've seen, the doubles of people aren't all that different." He looked up into the rearview mirror to see himself, recognizing every little change in expression and knowing what it meant, knowing he'd probably make the same ones. "Sam and I are the same, but we were brought up differently. This Jet is the same as the one that I know, but again, he was raised differently. We're _the same_ people, and I know for a fact that Gabriel would never just leave."

Cas was quiet and nodded. "I'm aware… But it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't think. The trip he went on was to find something to save Sa-" he paused and corrected himself, "-to save my friend. He insisted that he'd be back with a cure, never once thinking that maybe his boyfriend would just rather him be there with him instead of off on some wild goose chase." He clenched his fists, jaw tightening and teeth pressing together, "I told him not to go." He snarled softly, "I _told_ him it wouldn't do any good with him gone, but he didn't listen."

"Well… that does kind of sound like me." Gabriel admitted after the car had fallen silent, knowing full well that he'd see his Sam snap his head back to look at him. "But you should listen to the reasoning before you get mad. If Sam were sick and possibly dying, and I thought I knew where the cure was or that I could find it, I'd go."

"Your presence could be uplifting to his mentality and possibly save his life, you'd still leave him?" Castiel's smoldering anger flared to life again as he turned on Gabriel.

"But my presence isn't a sure thing, right? I mean, I'm there and watching him die or not there and trying to save his life, it looks like it's pretty obvious what I should do. Because both are a gamble and I can see the merit to each one, but in the end I'll take the risk to save his life. If he dies anyway at least he knows I'm still looking to save him."

"But he didn't! He thought you'd left him, ran away because he was sick! Do you understand? He died thinking you didn't love him!" Castiel's voice had risen; his face in a torrent of rage, and every word sounded like it cut him just as much as it was meant to cut Gabriel.

"Cas," Sam tried to hush him, his mind drawing connections just from the way Castiel had spoken. The meaning of his words had changed, it was no longer hypothetical 'if it were Sam' because to Cas it _was_ Sam, and that had only become more clear the moment Castiel looked at him. The anger fled his body language, hate draining from his eyes to leave a sorrowful look in its wake, all because he looked at Sam. "This Sam isn't dead." He tried to say evenly, in a way that wouldn't do any damage, but it brought a shock to Castiel's system.

"Stop the car." Cas turned away, his hand shaking as it clicked the seatbelt free.

Sam furrowed his brow, glancing up at the mirror again to try and see Castiel's face though he couldn't. "We're going to see my brother-"

"_**Please!**_"

The desperation of Cas' voice hit home and Sam pulled over, barely stopping before Castiel scrambled out the door. "Cas!"

Castiel stumbled along the shoulder before tripping up and hitting his knees. He never thought he'd have to see Gabriel again, even if it weren't the same one. It opened old wounds and it made him want to scream.

"Cas," Sam's voice was soft as he approached, Castiel thinking briefly on which one it was but he recognized the gentle nature of it, it was the Sam travelling with him that had gone to his side the quickest. "Cas, it's okay. Whatever happened before is done now, alright? You don't have to go through it anymore." Sam whispered as he wrapped his arms around Castiel's shoulders, squeezing him in a hug. "It's over."

Cas' lower lip quivered and he rested his head against Sam's shoulder, trembling hands reached up to return the affection. They remained that way for several minutes, Jet having wandered to their sides and kneeling down next to them.

"You know something?" He started saying after a second or two, both of his travelling companions looking up at the sound of his voice. "Cas, I never really thought you cared before, and maybe that's why I didn't see you fighting with your own problems. But I want you know that you aren't alone here anymore."

Sam smiled and looked down at Castiel who had to wipe his eyes quickly, head nodding with no words to follow.

"If the old scars hurt, let us know okay? We won't just let you blow yourself apart like this, you know why?" Jet nudged Cas' shoulder gently, a grin on his face.

Cas looked at him again and shook his head, he didn't know why.

"Because we care about you, dumbass. It hasn't been that long that we've all been together but we care. So don't insult us, take care of yourself."

Castiel curled his bottom lip in; trying to stop himself from feeling anything but he couldn't help the light sob that shook him. He covered his mouth as Sam hugged him tighter, this time Jet joining in and squeezing them both.

Sam wouldn't have thought he'd see Castiel crack like that, and to know it was over a Sam of all people. He'd managed to put more puzzle pieces together; Cas' close friend was Sam. This Sam had gotten sick and from the way Cas was acting, he'd have to guess it wasn't all that drawn out. It was sudden and had clearly left deeper scars; they didn't have time to cope with it.

He made a mental note to inform Dean later, it was something he felt Dean should know.

Gabriel looked over at his boyfriend and mouthed 'What the fuck', to which he received a shrug. "Don't make fun Gabriel, something bad obviously happened."

"I guess dead Sam's aren't a thing to make fun of, huh?" Gabriel shrugged and looked back at the car.

"You _guess_?" Sam jabbed him in the side with a soft laugh.

"Let's get moving." Castiel spoke up again, his composure back and there to stay. "I'm sorry about that."

Gabriel smiled and waved it off, "No worries, we've been through worse."

Cas smiled subtly before going back to the car, he didn't say anything out loud but he wouldn't want to lose that moment for anything. He quietly climbed into the backseat and moved into the middle, silently giving Sam the spot with more room.


	23. Ugly Duckling World: Cas' Family

_Fragments of Memories_

_Castiel sighed as he closed the door to his new home. He'd just moved his boxes of stuff to the main floor, had unpacked enough to make the place look like a tornado had passed by, and now he was leaving because he was starving and there was nothing inside. He was a little glad for the location, there was only one other house nearby and it was quiet, peaceful, but most importantly private. _

_However when he was this hungry and he knew he needed to carry a ton of groceries back, the walk to town might just be the biggest pain in the ass. Regardless, Castiel started down the drive way, if he wanted to eat he couldn't sit around waiting._

_As he reached the road he saw a dark car roaring closer, it was headed his way and he figured it'd pass but it didn't. Instead it stopped just ahead of him and a young man called out to him, "You're the new neighbor, right? My brother said it'd be nice to bring you a fruit basket, name's Dean Winchester."_

* * *

**The Ugly Duckling World: Part 4**

When the front door opened, Castiel, Jet, and both Dean's flinched, all eyes turning toward the new flood of people incoming. Dean, the husband, grinned widely and went to his brother for a hug. He knew which one was his, though Gabriel hanging off him didn't hurt the chances of not screwing up. "Sammy, how you doing?"

"I'm good, Dean." Sam smiled and squeezed back, resting his head for a few moments.

The other pair of brothers did the same though they had seen one another much more recently so it was a quick pat on the back and shoulder. Dean had pulled away and hadn't wanted to look to Castiel yet so he clasped hands with his Jet and they pulled each other into a quick 'manly' hug that ended with a somewhat painful hit the back. "How was the trip?"

"Long," Sam sighed and stretched his arms above his head, "And a bit cramped."

Dean smirked, "You've got too much limb going on, that's way."

"I'm not _that_ much taller than you." Sam jibed back.

"Hello Dean." Castiel spoke next, interrupting the brotherly exchange and finally catching Dean's eye. On the trip in Cas had gotten quieter after the outburst but that didn't stop his memories or thoughts. They'd continued to boil in his head and with a long, silent drive there was a lot of time to think over all of it. Nothing mind numbing to distract him, just an open road and all the reminders in the world that he'd lost his family.

Dean planned to look for a quick second, finding it hard to get himself to gather the courage. But he stopped and stared at the redness of Castiel's eyes and the stressed, pained expression that he wasn't hiding as well as he normally would. "Cas?" The concern out weighed the rest of it, pushed down his fears of speaking up and stamped them out. "Hey, what happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Castiel inhaled sharply and moved to look around the house, passing by his other self who just couldn't let him go without getting a look at him.

"Sweetheart, you're not fine." He said soothingly as he pulled the other Castiel closer, "Let's go upstairs." It was softly spoken, their eyes meeting briefly before the priest had to turn his head away.

"Alright."

And just like that the Castiel's escaped the room. No one attempted to stop them though they'd noticed. Well, most of them. The two Jet's stared at one another with a strange expression as they tried to decide whether or not they liked this very much.

"Okay," Cas closed the door to his and Dean's bedroom, letting his priest-self sit on the bed to relax a little bit. He went and sat down next to the other, reaching over and holding hands carefully. "What's going on?"

Castiel shook his head and took in a shaky breath, "I said I'm fine."

"You don't think I can tell when my face is on the verge of tears? I saw your lips quiver, I can see how wet your eyes are, and I can see you've already cried which means the rest of the tears aren't far off." He rubbed their hands together quietly, letting his words sink in and the quiet calm fill the room. "You looked a little stronger when you walked in, but that didn't last. Is it because of him?"

The priest scoffed bitterly and shook his head, "Not at all-"

"You're lying to me."

Castiel bit his lip, trying to keep his face straight but it tensed and pulled until a sob struggled out of him. "Yes, okay?" He looked at the softhearted counterpart through fresh tears, "He-he hugs and greets them and I'm still just…" He dropped his head into his hands to wipe the shame from his face though it still poured down; he'd broken part of the dam. "You don't know what it's like! To lose him forever, thinking you'll be alone until you're put with a second priest as a partner and it's… It's _him_."

Rubbing small circles in the other's back, Cas listened and did his best to understand. He remembered what Dean had said and how he'd understood it then; that there were many other versions of Castiel and Dean and each one had a certain partner meant for them. This Castiel had lost his Dean, sure he'd met another one but it wouldn't be exactly the same. It's like meeting a new person with the same face. "Honestly, sweetie, I don't know how you do it." He whispered softly, continuing the soothing circles mindlessly. "But you are, you _are_ doing it. And you're doing so well. I don't think I need to tell you what Dean is like, you already know, possibly more than I do with most things. But you need to be reminded I think," he tilted the other Castiel's head up so they were looking at one another, "Don't be hurt by his awkwardness, he's not good at showing it but Dean cares about you. He just never knows how to say it at first."

The priest sniffled and wiped his face dry with a soft laugh, "I think I know what you mean… But he's not mine to understand."

"But he _is_ yours. Don't you get it? Your first lover was a Dean, yes, but this Dean has never had or met a Castiel before. _You are his Castiel_." Cas insisted, moving to kneel on the floor in front of the other and holding his hands firmly. "There are so many different versions of us around, right? You've met two Dean's with no Castiel's, how do you know which one was meant to be yours? I only see one Dean wearing a matching outfit and travelling with you. _This_ is who you are meant to be, _this_ Dean is who you are meant for!"

Castiel watched the excitement dance across his counterpart's face, felt the energy between them and even let himself believe it, if only for a moment. "I'd… I'd have to think about that."

"Take your time, you'll find out I'm right." Cas winked at him and rose from the floor. "How about you take a shower and relax? I'll get some clothes for you."

"Thank you," Castiel sighed lightly and closed his eyes for a few seconds before looking up again, "I appreciate all you're doing for me, you really have no reason to care whether or not I'm happy."

"It's no problem at all." Cas grinned and helped the other up and out to the luxurious bathroom.

* * *

"They're taking a while." Jet muttered, no one really cared which Jet had spoken either because they seemed too similar to really try and tell them apart. Everyone had settled in the living room

"Yeah," Dean muttered, feeling like a total and complete shit head for everything. He couldn't figure out why he hadn't bothered to say hello, it wasn't like Castiel knew what was going on in his head. As far as Cas' vantage point went, Dean was normal for a while and now suddenly he's distant and cold and neglectful of his own partner. It wasn't okay, Dean knew that. He knew that being awkward around Castiel wasn't a good idea, especially if Cas was already sore about having to spend time with Dean in the first place. He couldn't imagine having to live with an alternate reality version of someone he loved more than anything, just to watch their habits be the same and know that they'll never love him again. Having to live with that feeling every day and then suddenly watch them drift away and treat him like an outcast? Dean knew he must have dim-wittedly torn Castiel's heart out.

"Hey Dean?" Sam spoke up and Dean had to double check his memory on what his little brother had been wearing to know which Sam was talking to him. It was his brother, not that it really mattered though.

"What's up Sammy?"

"Can I tell you something?" Sam motioned toward the door so they could get a little privacy. Dean would have been lying if he'd said Sam's tone didn't concern him, Sam only took on that voice when he had something serious to say and often it was because Dean was in trouble.

Regardless they stepped out and wandered a little ways away from the house for good measure. "Dean, on our trip in something happened…" Sam trailed off and nipped at his lower lip as he tried to decide what to say.

"Like what? Did you guys bump into a monster out there without me?" Dean tilted his head to get back into Sam's line of sight, the younger male getting the hint and looking directly into his brother's face for the next part.

"No, it was Cas. He... he had some kind of a break down. That other guy, Gabriel, he's the other Sam's boyfriend and Cas just wouldn't stop glaring at him."

Dean furrowed his brow, having to deal with the idea that his little brother in another world had a boyfriend on top of the thought of Castiel breaking down. "What do you mean exactly? What did Cas do?"

"Well after a bit of a fight that started from I don't even remember what, Cas basically disapproving of the other Sam being with Gabriel, he just snapped. He was saying how he knew a Gabriel, before the time he became a priest, when he was living a normal life. The Gabriel he knew had been in a relationship with a 'close friend', that friend apparently had gotten really sick and the Gabriel left him to die alone, essentially." Sam fumbled through the story trying to figure out a good way to tell it, ignoring the way Dean's face scrunched every now and then. "The way Cas was saying it, at one point he almost said the name of his friend but stopped himself, I swear he was going to say Sam. And when this Gabriel said he'd probably go out and try to find a cure if his boyfriend were dying, Cas only got worse. Like a trigger, he blew out, spilling a mass amount of emotion over the topic that was no longer hypothetical. I tried to remind him that this was a different couple than the one he was thinking of and he just…"

Dean shook his head, getting the idea of what Sam was trying to say. "Cas… Cas once said he had a husband that had tried to kill him, that his last name is Winchester and… the other day I was remembering a nightmare I'd had about strangling him. Cas told me that since it happened when we met it was our bond as partners and high priests, that I was seeing his past somehow. I can't really explain how I know this, Sam, but at the time I'd thought you were possibly the husband he was talking about, you know? He was always so nice to you and hated me, I figured that his husband was someone he'd be nice to…"

"But his husband tried to kill him, so…" Sam continued Dean's thought process, his eyes narrowing as they both looked away. "And on top of that, if the 'close friend' that died tragically was a Sam then of course he'd be nice to me… I mean think about it, how has he looked at me? It's not with lust it's just-"

"Love." Dean nodded, "Cas just plainly loves you. And why wouldn't he be cruel to someone he remembers trying to kill him? Sam, Cas' husband was a Dean. We were his family at one point."

"Not us," Sam reminded him which only made Dean's expression sink. "Cas' family is gone, Dean. I think he's having a hard time warming up to us because we look like them but aren't them. We aren't Castiel's family, we could never be what they were."

"We could never be what they were…" Dean frowned; remembering the other Castiel's words again, about how no other Dean in the world could love him the same way. "Goddamn it Sam… We-" He looked around as if to find some easier way to speak was as simple as staring at a tree, "We might not be his _first_ family," he poked a finger against Sam's chest, feeling the anger and rage boil in his chest, "But that doesn't mean we aren't, understand? We are just as much his as he is ours. Cas is our family now."

With that Dean stormed inside. He needed to talk to Cas, to get this out of his head, to get the information out and to let Castiel know what was going on in their little group. That he wasn't alone, that his family wasn't gone forever, that what happened before didn't change the present. Sam smiled a little, rubbing his chest where Dean's finger had prodded him, glad he could light a little fire under his butt.

* * *

After a getting the bathroom set up for his counterpart, Cas trotted down the stairs to see to everyone else. He wasn't sure what was going on, not really, but it was a fun excuse to play housewife for a bit. That didn't mean he wanted to sit around the house waiting for Dean to come home every day, but it was just fun to play. As he slipped down the stairs one of the Dean's was trying to get up, they paused in the middle and looked at one another, quickly to check to see which Castiel and which Dean had just bumped into one another.

Cas smiled at the dark overcoat, knowing by the face alone that this wasn't he his Dean but it was nice to get a little bit of proof to tell himself he was right. It was a nice feeling to know you could tell your lover apart if you were that close to their body double. "Where are you going?"

"Where's Cas?"

"I'm right here."

"_My_ Cas, where's my Castiel?" Dean insisted, his face strained with what looked like thoughts he'd been holding on to for too long already. It was a short little phrase but it still made Cas smile, he could tell which Dean was his and now this Dean was showing signs of being able to do the same. He was definitely evolving on that 'I'm not sure I like him-I really like him' train.

"You planning on talking to him now? I think he needs some time-"

"Where is he?" Dean interrupted, not letting Cas get any other information off.

"Bathroom, he's going to-" Cas stuttered out as Dean booked it past him, no longer listening as he finished his sentence, "-take a shower." He shrugged and continued down to the main floor, they could handle themselves without interference.

"Cas?" Dean went to the bathroom door and tried the handle, finding it locked. "Cas, I need to talk to you."

Castiel, after just stepping out of the last of his clothing, paused with his hand on the shower knob. "Can it wait, Dean?" He was tired, exhausted emotionally, mentally, and physically and he wasn't sure he could keep everything to himself with Dean at that moment.

"No, it's something I need to tell you." His voice was so tense, Castiel wanted to ask if something had happened but he didn't really want to talk to Dean right then. What with the lack of greeting and everything, he thought they were fighting or something.

So as much as he wanted to just give in and listen, the sting of being neglected still hurt enough to swell his pride. Cas instead turned the water on, "Not now."

Dean frowned and reached back into his coat for his weapon, forming it into a tool to help him pick the lock. There was something in his head that refused to let that be the answer, something that knew Castiel was hurting and wanted to put an end to it immediately. For some reason he hadn't considered the fact that he'd heard the sound of running water, that Castiel may in fact just be taking a shower and not trying to ignore him. Dean was too preoccupied with the best of intentions.

The door swung open and Dean stalked inside, closing it behind him. He looked up through the steam at a surprised expression, his partner stepping back a little to hide behind the curtain hung there.

"Dean! What are you doing?" Cas started to protest and grab for the shower curtain to cover himself better but Dean wouldn't have any of it. Before he knew it he was pushed back against the cold tiled wall, the chill shooting through his back and bringing a shiver to the rest of his body. Dean was holding him there, hands on Castiel's biceps and pressing him against the wall as the water poured over both of them. "Dean?" Cas managed a soft question in the name, his gaze tilting up to see what kind of insanity had brought Dean to him this time.

"Cas, listen to me." Dean seemed entirely unaware of the shower, the water soaking his head and clothes, dripping down Castiel's skin to where hands held him in place, he didn't seem to notice any of it. "I know who you were married to," Dean could see the pain well up in Castiel's face, how everything tried to harden itself against the possibilities of the conversation, especially Cas' heart. "Sam figured out your close friend was your brother-in-law and who he was." He swallowed nervously, starting to lose a bit of his edge, "Cas, I just need to tell you that we know, and-"

"You don't know a damn thing." Castiel snarled, his voice cracking and the hurt slipping through. His eyes were steeled against Dean, angry, sharp, and cold. He tried to push Dean back but the other man refused to budge. Cas looked surprised then and suddenly much more vulnerable, "Dean, leave."

"No, Cas. You think you're all alone and you miss them, you don't see us you see ghosts of people you knew." Dean struggled to hold Castiel in place as the other priest pushed back and tried to pull away. Long, pale arms flailed out and grasped at things to help him use as a brace more than the slick floor of a porcelain tub, hands balled into fists when he couldn't reach. "Cas-"

"Let me go!" Castiel shouted, "You don't know anything, you don't understand!" He started hitting and smacking at Dean as his partner pulled him from anything he could grab ahold of.

"No I don't! But that doesn't mean I don't care!" Dean held Castiel perfectly still, their noses touched and Cas opened his eyes to see how close their faces were. "Cas, as much as you want to distance yourself from it, we're your family now." His words were so softly spoken that Cas wasn't even sure he'd heard them, and yet they were in his mind moving along with everything his other self had said earlier.

"_You are his Castiel."_

Cas let himself stare into the green eyes in front of him, finally letting himself relax for a moment to just look. How he could recognize the gaze like it had happened to him once before, eyes widening as he slowly recognized what it was. He'd seen this look in his husband as they'd come to know each other; he would never forget the look of a man falling love because he'd also seen it in himself. "Dean…" Cas whispered as he tried to turn away but found he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Please, let us be your family. Let… let me." The way he'd said it was so sincere and Castiel felt the pain thunder in his chest, tears rushing to his eyes and refusing to be wiped away so easily.

"Dean" this time it came out in a sob but Cas didn't try to pull away anymore. He pushed forward and wrapped his arms around the other's shoulders and held tight, burying his face in the crook of Dean's neck.

Dean sighed his relief and cradled Castiel against him, his hands grazing the bare skin of his partner's torso giving him the first impression that Castiel had been entirely naked during their exchange. He glanced over at the running water coming from the showerhead and realized what he'd done, busting in on the other man in a very vulnerable situation. Dean felt his cheeks burning the more he began to notice that Castiel's naked and wet body was pressed against him. _'He's crying and needs you, how about we think about it later?'_ He reminded himself and, surprisingly, the scolding tone of his thoughts was enough to get his mind away from the gutter.

"Thank you," Cas finally sighed, "I… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Dean smiled and rested his head against Cas'.

Castiel in turn laughed softly and nuzzled Dean's cheek, "Then I'll leave it at thank you."

"Deal."


	24. Ugly Duckling World: What're We Fighting

_Fragments of Memories_

_Cas leaned back on the couch and rolled his head around to try and pop a few twisted muscles back into place. He'd been sitting hunched forward reading a book for far too long and it was starting to really strain his neck. He opened his eyes to stare up at the ceiling for a moment, wondering when the last time was that he'd gotten a crick in his neck like this. Since before going out with Dean, probably. However they hadn't exactly been seeing eye to eye lately, there had been so much fighting and now they weren't really speaking much._

_A few moments passed as he thought he might have to consider the idea of leaving Dean. It hurt to even imagine and he couldn't even try to picture how lonely he'd be. But then again, with the way they were acting around one another, what would be the difference?_

_As his mind drifted along those lines he felt a strong set of hands on his shoulders, they were gently rubbing out the soreness and Cas couldn't do anything but melt into them. "I'm sorry." He heard Dean whisper so he smiled up at his lover._

"_Yeah, me too." Cas arched up as Dean leaned down, their lips meeting in a slow and passionate display. Castiel ran a hand up through Dean's hair and just before his boyfriend was about to reciprocate they heard the familiar violent coughing from upstairs. Both stopped to listen, wondering if it'd slow down at any point like it sometimes did. They weren't so lucky, the hacking continued and started to sound more painful than before._

"_I'll get the medicine." Cas spoke softly as he stood up from the couch, "He must've just woken up."_

* * *

**The Ugly Duckling World: Part 5**

The evening was quiet; everyone ate and conversed though there wasn't a lot to discuss. Mostly this was because Castiel, the priest, had gone straight to bed after his shower. He was the most knowledgeable on what kind of void monster they'd be facing and without his insight the others had no idea what they were looking for. Sam glanced at his brother with slight annoyance, "I wish he had some kind of a book on these things, I'd be able to identify stuff with that."

"Well there is no book and I doubt Cas has had any time to try and write one." Dean smirked and ruffled Sam's hair affectionately.

"How's he doing, by the way?" Jet raised an eyebrow before sipping at the coffee the other Castiel had served them.

"Cas? He's tired." Dean shrugged, looking down at his cup thoughtfully. "I don't blame him, let's just give him some time."

Sam nodded, "Well regardless there's still some kind of threat here, right? We should listen to the news or something, see what's up."

"Ask and you shall receive," Cas smiled as he set a radio down, "The TV's in the other room and we have computers for Internet access, anything else?"

"That's perfect, thank you." Sam smiled up at him, turning the radio on and switching through the stations.

"So..." The other Sam sat down at the table with them, looking at them curiously as he decided what words to use, "When you say there's a threat, what kind of threat are we talking here?"

"There's a number of different types of monsters in the void between worlds," Dean explained, finding it more comfortable being the one to do so more and more. "The three of us haven't seen that many, just a few different ones, but Cas knows them all. I can tell you about raptoribus, aer, demoni, but that's about it. From what I can tell you'd know if you had a raptoribus running around so that's off the menu."

"And there'd be some kind of black cloud roaming around if it were an aer." Jet added, "It'd target someone, probably one of you guys since that seems to be the norm these days."

"And the demoni?" Sam furrowed his brow, still trying to figure out if these people were insane or not.

"I don't really know exactly," Dean shook his head, "I know if it's a powerful one the town will have been half falling apart, the roads would be caving in, and there'd be a physical monster running around. And if it's strong enough to possess someone I know how to tell after it's close to waking up. Has anything weird happened in town?"

"Nope, aside from you guys." Cas sat down and swirled a tea bag around in his mug, ever since spending time in England he'd taken a liking to tea rather than coffee. Dean had called him girly for it though Balthazar's smack to his head corrected him somewhat. "So what if it's a new kind of thing? Do you know how to fight it if it shows up? And what if it wasn't here but where Sam and Gabriel lived?"

"Not likely," Sam looked up from playing with the radio, "It seems to be that if there are a Dean and Cas in the world then they're the ones that get focused on. Not sure why."

"We're special." Cas winked at him, though he'd be lying if that didn't scare him a little bit. He fidgeted a little as the conversation played out, his mind starting to drift from it. Dean had decidedly gone to bed as well, it wasn't super early but it wasn't very late either. Cas would have guessed that he was just exhausted from working or he was just tired of all the crazy. Regardless he'd left the hosting to Cas and now it was starting to get to him. If they were in danger then he wanted to be near Dean. His throat felt dry the longer he waited until finally he stood up from his spot and smiled at the others, "I think I need to lie down. If you need anything, I'll-"

"We'll help," Gabriel piped in, "You go to bed Cas."

"Thanks Gabe," Cas chastely pecked his cheek before waving goodnight to the new comers and hurrying up the stairs.

Eventually the place died down and after the travellers discovered there was nothing strange happening at all in the city or nearby places, they found places to sleep as well. Dean lay on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. He'd taken so many big steps toward Cas; their relationship had been re-evaluated but only to the level of family. Dean hadn't had the courage to outwardly say 'I like you', though judging by how stressed out Castiel was maybe it was better that he wait on that one.

As exhaustion swept in and his eyes lids felt heavy, Dean started to drift to sleep, his mind wading in and out of consciousness with just the image of Castiel's face to dream of. He smiled to himself, imagining that smile spread soft lips, just for him. Castiel would smile for him, laugh just for him, and have eyes only for him. It was a pipe dream, he thought for sure it was, but that didn't stop him from hoping for it. Battle worn hands softened, gentle and caring in their touch. Dean sighed the more he dreamt, he just wanted to hold him. All he wanted was that moment in the shower again, Castiel clinging to him like he was everything, like he'd make a difference somehow.

Peaceful and quiet until there was a low moan as the house seemed to creak under the pressure of some unseen force. Dean stirred on his makeshift bed, eyes twitching before his lids pulled up to look around. The room was still dark, he couldn't see anything and he couldn't hear anything. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him, though there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind so he stood and went to the guest room that Castiel had been resting in.

Dean heard the groan of the house a second time as he strode down the hall, the light of the moon catching objects and creating shadows through the window that were enough to put Dean on edge. It was just a stupid shadow but it still made him anxious. He told himself over and over it was probably nothing but he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening. Dean knocked lightly on the door as he slowly opened Castiel's bedroom, expecting to see his partner fast asleep on the bed. Instead he opened it to a wide-eyed and pale face.

Castiel was sitting upright and very stiff, his arms tight to his sides and head angled straight ahead. He slowly turned it to look at Dean who was entirely awestruck and slightly terrified. "Dean," his voice was a rough whisper, haggard and frightened.

"Cas? What's going on?" Dean moved into the bedroom but again froze when he saw a shadowy figure in the corner of the room. "What is that!?" He fumbled, reaching back into his coat to grab his weapon.

Castiel's jaw trembled, his eyes shifting over to his jacket that lay discarded on the floor a few feet away then back to the figure that slowly shifted in and out of an actual shape. "Domus." He rasped in reply, knowing he'd never reach his weapon in time.

Before Dean could respond or ask any questions the room shook and tore itself apart, the shadow gone and in its place a dark and seemingly empty space remained. For a second everything fell into a limbo, calm, quiet, and what was left in the room was floating. Dean turned his head to see that Castiel wasn't immune to it, his slender runner's body drifting in the same space as everything else. It was all happening so fast, Dean couldn't find it in himself to use the weapon but he had the mind to grab hold of Castiel's reaching hand.

In a flash they were moving again, sucked directly into the vortex left by the figure and in that time Dean felt like he'd gone deaf. He could see Castiel's face, scrunched up and scared, mouth open as if he were screaming but no noise came out. They were in a vacuum, must have been, he refused to believe he'd lost his hearing. Really though he should at least be able to hear himself because he could feel the tension in his face, the pull of his jaw, he should have been screaming too but he couldn't hear it.

The space around them rushed this way and that, all the while Dean focused on holding onto Cas. If he couldn't accomplish saving Castiel from the vortex in the first place he could at least hold onto him. Cas' grip was pretty strong in itself but their arms were stretched out and they were basically being pulled apart. Dean couldn't let that happen, he felt the strain on his shoulder and knew that he wouldn't be able to hold on forever. He tried to pull Cas in but couldn't do it, not one handed. Dean growled as he grit his teeth, reaching up with his other hand seemed to be as hard as sitting up when riding one of those gravity amusement park attractions. He found the strength though, pushing as hard as he could he managed to take hold of Cas' arm and start to reel him in.

Castiel looked up at him, those frightened blue eyes frantically looking for a way he could help, to keep himself from losing Dean. He forced his arm up to help pull himself in, the force of their spinning was like a merry-go-round, pulling at them to try and tear them apart. But neither of them would let it. If they didn't managed to do anything in that vacuum they'd at least be able to cling to one another.

The minutes they spent losing their breath and pulling together felt like hours but soon enough Dean had Castiel in his arms again, holding him there for dear life. "It's okay, Cas." He tried shouting it for his partner to hear but Castiel's head remained pressed against his shoulder, Dean didn't think he'd heard him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, thanks again for reading and I really appreciate the reviews (seriously, I love to get spammed with that stuff so even a 'I like it' works for me ;) )**

**Hope everyone's enjoying it and that it all makes sense so far. I had originally written this chapter as probably twice this long but I decided to break it up into the usual chapter lengths. Gotta stay consistent.**


	25. Ugly Duckling World: Domus

_Fragments of Memories_

"_Did you know that Dean and I have lived like this most of our lives?" Sam smiled brightly across the table from Castiel, it was the second time Dean brought their neighbor over and Sam just couldn't get over how well his brother clicked with the stranger. _

"_Have you now?" Cas was very good at humouring him, Sam could never really tell if Castiel was interested in what he had to say or not. _

"_Yeah, really. Our parents died when we were little, Dean's been taking care of both of us ever since."_

"_Sounds like Dean's pretty good at this kind of thing." Castiel smiled and Sam knew at that moment that Cas had to stay._

* * *

**Domus**

Just as quickly as it had started, it ended. The two high priests lost velocity as they seemed to enter another limbo space, drifting to a stop. Their grip on one another loosened, Cas lifted his head to look around and Dean could feel the small vibrations of his trembling. "Cas?" He asked softly, secretly relieved to hear his own voice again. "What's a domus?"

"One of the shadow creatures in the void," Cas groaned and dropped his head against Dean again, somewhat comforted by his presence. "Goddamn it..."

"What's wrong?"

"I should have seen it!" Cas pulled away, his body lowering to the floor at a whim, feet touching down in the dimly lit area. "Domus are so fucking obvious, how did I not see it?" He screamed into the darkness, his voice echoing all around them.

"Calm down, you had a lot on your mind. How do we beat it? What's it doing?" Dean touched down beside him, trying to calmly move into Castiel's space without spooking him any.

"It's a shadow creature that takes over houses, usually there's a loud groaning noise during the night which is when it does most of its moving. Normally it chooses a room to nest in and in the dark it comes out, if there's someone in that room during the night it takes them." Cas ran a hand through his hair, the other fidgeting with the pajama top that the other Castiel had given him. It was soft, he wasn't sure what fabric exactly but it was very soft and comforting so he played with the hemming while his mind ran through what to do next.

"Is there a way out?" Dean looked around, not really able to see anything.

"Yes, but it's complicated." Cas furrowed his brow and started walking, "You need to face your fears, basically. If there are several people taken at once only one of them will need to accomplish this, not all. However the more people there are the deeper the fear will run."

"So if there was just one person then it would be pretty easy to get out?"

"Easier, anyway. After the person has faced whatever it is the domus throws at them they aren't always able to move in time. Often their mind is still in shock, the deeper the fear the longer it takes for their brain to process it all. However as soon as they beat the domus' test, it creates an exit. The opening to get out is temporary, it lasts for a few minutes and then the process starts all over again." Cas looked around as he walked, little bits of memories cropping up to create vague environments as he passed by. "Do you see anything right now, Dean?"

"Uhm... sort of, there's some furniture and stuff." Dean stepped around a chair as he walked, glancing over at Cas' rigid stride. "How does it decide who to target?"

"The person with the deeper fears, usually. The stronger it is the more likely it'll be that the other person will be able to see it too. Do you recognize any of this stuff?"

"Not really."

"I was afraid of that." Cas swallowed nervously, "Because I do..."

Dean's gaze snapped to Castiel again, _'What am I going to see?'_ Was the first thought that came to mind and it worried him more than anything else. Because whatever he saw probably wasn't going to be the thing that scared Castiel the most but it'd be enough to torment him. And after everything that had already happened that day, why did it have to be Cas? "No," Dean hurried ahead of Castiel and looked around, "No! Target me, you son of a bitch!"

"Dean, it doesn't work like that." Castiel muttered, a chill running down his spine as the room started to take more of a shape than it had previously. It was his living room.

"Hey! You hear me!?" Dean wasn't listening, instead he was roaming around the forming house looking for the domus. "Cas, how do we kill it?" He spun around, ready with weapon in hand now, but it didn't matter.

Because Castiel was no longer listening.

Instead Cas was standing, facing the back of another Dean who was bracing himself against the wall, shoulders shaking and body tense.

"Dean?" Cas whispered, reaching over and sliding a hand along his bicep, "Baby, you should be in there."

"He's..." This phantom Dean was struggling to speak, his teeth grinding together. "I can't see him like this-"

"Dean just go..." Cas tried to interrupt, his voice was shaking and entirely uncertain as he tried. But that didn't matter either because his memory wasn't listening. Cas bit his lower lip and tried harder, pulling at Dean and attempting to force him. "You _have_ to. You'll never forgive yourself if you don't! Dean!"

Instead of taking his lover's word, however, the phantom lashed out instead. It smashed Castiel in the face and knocked him backward, stumbling and tripping until he fell to the floor. Cas reached up and touched his face where he'd been struck, he didn't look at all surprised by it.

"Cas!" Dean, his partner, shouted and ran to his side. "Cas, you okay?"

"Yes... That happened last time."

"Last time? Cas, what's the fear that you have to face?" Dean started to pull him to his feet, he mostly ended up hauling Castiel up without much help. "Is it this asshole?"

"No... no I was never afraid of Dean." Cas turned his head toward the stairs, looking up as his face started to pale. "I could never... break it to Sam."

"Sam?" Dean looked up the stairs then back at Castiel, "Come on, let's go see him."

"I... I can't." Cas felt his arms shaking and he crossed them to try and stop it.

"You have to, now let's move." Dean grabbed Cas by the shoulders from behind and pushed him toward the stairs. It was a bit of a struggle but he managed to haul Castiel to the bedroom he seemed to be most anxious about. Dean opened the door and felt his stomach tighten into knots, Castiel bracing against him and letting out a soft cry of protest.

Sam was pale and thin, every part of him sunken in, his skin clinging to the bones in order to stay on. He rolled his head to the side to look toward the door and Dean saw how pale his eyes were, the dark circles beneath them, and even how wispy and unhealthy his hair looked. It was disgusting, he remembered how sick Sam had been back in his world but it had never gotten this bad. "What's happening to him?" Dean whispered to Castiel who could only shake his head as he approached Sam's bedside.

"Cas..." Sam wheezed with a half smile, "Where's... Dean?"

"He's..." Cas bit his lower lip and turned around to look at his partner, "He can't see you, I don't know what to say."

Dean watched the pain and fear in Castiel's eyes and realized that he'd had to lie to Sam the first time. "Lying to him doesn't work, does it?"

"No, I did that last time."

"Then what are you scared of?"

"Telling him the truth." Cas trailed off and glanced back over at the tired young man watching him from the bed. "I couldn't ever tell him his big brother was..."

"Cas?" Sam strained to sit up but couldn't. "Where's... Dean?"

"Sweetheart," Castiel fidgeted and looked around anxiously, wanting to lie again, to let Sam die in peace. But that wouldn't help, it hadn't then and it wouldn't now. "Sam, Dean's... Dean's not coming up."

Dean felt his heart ache as he watched the look on Sam's face, those already pained eyes flickering with the information. "Oh..." he coughed a few times, straining to keep it in but his entire body shook with the force of it. "Did... did he say why?"

"He says he can't." Castiel walked over and sat down at Sam's side, taking his cold hand and squeezing gently.

Dean stood and watched the exchange, the way Sam laid there silently, letting Castiel hold onto him but not really squeezing back. At least, from Dean's angle it didn't look like it. How could his little brother get so bad? Why wasn't the other Dean up there watching this? It tore him apart to see it, yes, but to say he didn't want to? To let Sam lie there alone? It wasn't right.

"Cas?" Sam squeaked, looking up with hazy vision, the already faded look seeming more and more pale.

"Yes Sam?"

"Can you get me some water?"

Cas hesitated, his body twitching to get up immediately and leave. But he stayed put. "No, Sam. I won't."

Dean furrowed his brow, "Cas, he wants water-"

"You want me to leave too, you want to justify these feelings of being alone, but I won't let you." Cas' voice was trembling and Dean could hear the strain of holding back tears without even having to see his face. "I won't let you," Cas repeated with a light sob, "Not this time." As he spoke Sam's limbs twitched and his eyes were glassy as tears slipped down his cheeks. Castiel held Sam's hand as his body convulsed and eyes rolled back, every muscle tightening and nearly tearing themselves apart. Castiel wouldn't let go. "I love you, Sam." he cried as he spoke, his own body quivering as he remained where he was.

Dean didn't know how he managed it but he walked forward to touch Castiel's shoulder. He was shaking too, his hand didn't feel all that comforting, he was sure, but he tried it anyway. He wanted to say something as Sam passed away, but it hurt too much for words. He'd avoided it in his world, his little brother was still with him and waiting back at that house. Dean tried to remind himself of that as he fought off the tears, at least for Castiel's sake. As they stood in silence the world faded, but Castiel didn't move.

Dean looked up when he saw a light, "The exit." he grabbed Cas and dragged him up, finding that his partner basically became dead weight. Dean groaned as he lifted Castiel into his arms and carried him out, holding him to his chest as he ran for the flickering exit.

As excited as he was to get out he still didn't know how to kill the damn thing. Dean stumbled into the bedroom again to find it was normal, like it had never been blown apart in the first place. He didn't stop to think just yet, instead he moved to lay Castiel down outside the room, incase it all happened again. "Alright," Dean drew his weapon again, this time creating something more along the lines of a light sabre. He knew he couldn't exactly fight a shadow with anything physical.

Dean entered the room again, peering inside to see the figure standing in the corner like it had been before, though this time it looked a little dazed, swaying back and forth like it had been smacked one too many times. _'This must be a side effect of someone getting out.'_ He figured, closing in on the thing.

_"Lift your hand, Winchester."_ A voice echoed in his head and nearly made him trip over the throw rug.

But Dean didn't argue, instead he lifted his hand toward the domus as instructed. He felt a wave flow through him, energy sparking up in his body like he'd never felt before. And before he really knew what was happening his mouth and body were moving on their own, words in another language spewing out and a light glowing in his palm. He wanted to pull back, call for Cas for an answer as to what was happening, but he couldn't. Instead he watched as something controlled his body, using him as a medium to vaporize the domus on the spot.

Dean gasped when he was suddenly in his own head again, hunching forward and falling to his knees. "What... the hell?" He turned to look out of the room, hoping maybe Cas was up but he could only see Castiel's feet, still motionless. "What the hell..."


	26. In Between: Time to Learn

**Ugly Duckling World: Part 6**

"Why is it always him?" Dean growled out as he lifted Castiel from the floor, his partner failing to reply or even move in any way. "Cas? Cas can you hear me?" Dean gently shook Cas as he carried him to the couch downstairs, like hell they were taking a chance with that bedroom again. He could feel himself getting desperate the more limp Castiel seemed to be. It'd happened several times already where Cas wound up unconscious for some reason or another, "How did you even survive on your own?!"

"Dean?" The word was so meek and quiet that he thought for a second that he'd imagined it, but Dean looked at Castiel's face anyway. Blue eyes opened lazily, fluttering to stay that way. "Dean," Cas squeaked, his hand coming up and grabbing at Dean's shirt. "I'm scared…"

"It's okay," Dean smiled the best he could, which wasn't too hard since he was so relieved to see Castiel's eyes open again.

"I'm scared." Castiel repeated shakily even though Dean had propped Cas up against his chest, trying to soothe him and make him feel safe again.

"You're fine, don't worry okay?" Dean cupped Cas' cheek gently and rocked him slowly, making sure that there were no sudden movements. He could feel his partner's body trembling and wished against all odds that he could magically make it stop. "I've got you, Cas. I've got you." He tried to use Castiel's name as much as possible, trying to keep the other a little more grounded. Part of him wondered if Castiel was seeing him or maybe a different Dean. Not that it made much of a difference, he'd still do his best to watch out for Cas.

"Where are we?" Castiel whispered after a few moments of silence, his shaking calming down to a controlled point. "Did we get out?"

"Yeah, I beat him." Dean smiled and tilted Cas' head back to see his face.

"How? I never showed you..." Castiel furrowed his brow, his words still very softly spoken. "Did... did they...?"

"Well if by 'they' you mean hearing weird voices in my head, then yes?"

"The celestials... did they take control of you?" Castiel struggled to sit up though his body wasn't entirely cooperative. "Did they?"

"Yeah, for a few seconds. They vaporized the domus thing." Dean shrugged, "Why? Big deal?"

"Sort of, it means your magic will be active now." Castiel pulled himself up and motioned for Dean to follow him, "Come this way-"

"Cas, lie down! You just woke up, give it a second okay?" Dean grabbed his partner's hand and tugged him back, "Don't start this right away. Rest, please?"

Castiel turned back toward him, both priests looking worried and for similar reasons; they were concerned for their partner. "I know I need to rest, Dean. However your trial period is over now and I need to get you to them. They'll show you how to use it before it gets out of hand, so please just come with me."

Dean hesitated but stood and followed as Castiel opened another portal, "What about the other two?"

"I'll come back for them while you're training."

There wasn't a whole lot he could say anymore, Castiel hadn't let him let go of his hand and instead dragged Dean through without much of an effort. Dean often forgot how much stronger than a normal person he and Castiel were, their quick healing and everything else. If Sam or Jet went through half the things that they did he wondered how they'd fair.

* * *

**In Between**

Touching down on the somewhat familiar ground, standing before the staircase again, Dean could feel a strange vibration rumble in his body. "Cas..." He muttered as the trembling grew worse the longer he remained still, "Cas what's happening to me?" Dean barely managed the words before his eyes lit up, a overbearing heat waving down his arm and into his palm.

Castiel flinched at the burning sensation he was getting just through touch but didn't let go, instead he dragged Dean through to the celestials' chambers, "Train him!" He demanded without thinking, no proper etiquette or respect shown this time.

The center being raised a hand and the magic flaring to life inside of Dean died down. "What the hell was that!?" Dean panicked, rubbing his hands together and looking around for some kind of an answer.

"When your magic is active but you don't know how to control it any spell can activate itself through you." Cas sighed, clearly relieved they'd made it in time. "It happened to me too, except they took me in immediately so I was pretty lucky."

Dean blinked a few times and looked at the celestials that only seemed to smile in return, "Seriously though, what the hell are you guys?"

"Not now, Dean Winchester. We must teach you how to do the things that Castiel does." The center holy being spoke again, seemed to be the only one that did so. However Dean didn't manage a chance to reflect on it, a space opened below him and before he knew it he was sucked right through.

Castiel looked at the closing space and shook his head, knowing without having to hear it that Dean was screaming at the top of his lungs. _'I wasn't too far off from that, I imagine.'_ He mused to himself before taking his leave to retrieve their comrades.

**Ugly Duckling World: Part 7**

"There he is!" Jet exclaimed as he caught hold of the dimension travelling priest, "What the hell, man? Sam and I were freaking!"

"Cas, where's Dean?" Sam was up and impatient, his eyes scanning over Castiel quickly enough to see he was exhausted. "And what happened? Are you okay?"

"Calm down, Dean is fine, I'm fine, I'll take you to him. We're finished here." Castiel explained, glancing over at their other selves who all looked as surprised he drifted through thin air as they were the first time. "Thank you for housing us, we appreciate it."

Cas was the first to respond to his other self, standing up and moving to give him a hug, "I hope everything goes well between you two." He whispered in the other's ear before letting him go. "Good luck."

"Thank you, and congratulations on your marriage, it seems perfect." The priest responded kindly before taking the others away, no other words left to be spoken.

Dean wrapped an arm around his husband's shoulders and squeezed him gently, "You're surprisingly good at coping with weird shit, you know that?"

"I had to deal with your suddenly changed mind, I'm pretty good at dealing with weird things." Cas grinned playfully.

"I'm just glad that's over." Gabriel sighed, looking over at Sam who shrugged in return.

"I guess, though I kinda wanted to see the monster they were talking about..."

"There wasn't one, I'd bet." Jet shook his head and started back toward his bed, "Bunch of crazies."

"Maybe," Cas hummed, staring at the space the portal had been in.

* * *

**In Between: Training**

Dean felt like his mind was being molested, like there were hands inside his head that just wouldn't back off. Part of him thought maybe they were his own, feeling around inside the newfound abilities and mental processing. The rest was concerned the holy beings were having fun with him. Regardless, Castiel had handed him over to this and he wasn't about to step away from it, not if his partner believed it to be necessary. Cas trusted them so Dean would do, for now anyway. He had too many questions to just let it slip by him.

"You are a good man, Dean."

The voice was in his head again, or maybe it was all around him? He couldn't really be sure, it was the only sound he could hear.

"You make a compatible partner with Castiel."

Dean furrowed his brow, somehow that didn't quite sound right. "Compatible? That's it?"

"Yes, some of his needs seem to slip past you."

It was hard to swallow, that maybe he wasn't a good partner, but that wasn't why he was in the weird float-y space in the first place. "What do you want me to do, here?"

"You are currently in a neutral space, where positive and negative energy have clashed out and have left a sort of zone for meditation. In this space you will remain until everything is sorted through in your mind, just as Castiel has done before you, and other high priests before him."

_'So just sit and wait, huh?'_ Dean chewed on the inside of his cheek for a few seconds before shaking his head, "What about the training Cas mentioned?"

"This is it. Close your eyes, feel your mind and the rest will come to you."

And that was the last Dean heard from them as he remained in limbo, his mind going far too fast to just let it roam. Thoughts of Castiel, spells, magic, and something much more physical than the little spark he'd started to feel. His head swam with old information, his past and history, new information and even things he'd never actually heard before. Dean could hear the celestials speaking but not to him particularly, as if they were talking to someone else entirely but knew that at some point he'd over hear.

He could hear Castiel, clear as a bell; _"Who are you?"_ Dean struggled to see him, to see the situation somehow and connect better with his partner. He wanted to know inherently when Castiel needed something, needed _him_.

Then the world opened to him, the darkness drifting to the corners of his vision and he could see Castiel in set of pajamas he hadn't been wearing previously. Dean knew what Cas had been wearing, those pajamas weren't it. That didn't mean the clothes were entirely unfamiliar, Dean had seen them before somewhere but he just couldn't bring himself to remember it exactly.

However when he saw the strangle marks on Castiel's neck he remembered; the nightmare he'd had before they'd met, the one where he imagined himself as the Dean who tried to kill Cas. _'This is him just before becoming a priest, isn't it?'_ He thought almost excitedly, straining to pay attention. Seeing past situations with the celestials wasn't easy if he didn't focus, he was starting to realize that as the audio from it all distorted every now and then.

_"Who are you? Where am I?" Castiel was frantic and his body was heaving with borderline hyperventilation, "What happened to him!?" He screamed, the pain reverberating around the room. "Dean!? DEAN! Baby where are you!? What happened?" _

_"Castiel Winchester, calm yourself."_

_"DEAN!" Cas wailed, curling in on himself and clutching his chest as more agonized cries tore from his mouth. _

The sobbing was too much for Dean to listen to, his heart hurt just hearing it and as much as he wanted to pretend that maybe this was a different reality Cas, he knew it wasn't. This was his Castiel crying, in so much pain he couldn't breathe. Dean couldn't take it, he forced himself up, finding it was difficult to move but pushing through it anyway, "Cas! I'm right here!" He shouted but his voice didn't reach. Of course not, it wasn't the present time.

Or so he thought before Castiel flinched and looked around, sniffling and trying desperately to get himself together. Dean froze, wondering if altering time was possible in this realm or maybe he was playing along to a destined script. It was weird to try and comprehend any of it, and in trying to do so he wound up doing nothing but standing and staring.

_"Dean?"_

_"He is not here, Castiel. We need you to focus, what you just saw was a demoni possessing your lover and there are many others like it." _The celestial had spoken again though Castiel's attention was elsewhere. A few moments of this passed before Castiel's body started to glow and strange light was emitted from his orifices, flashing in every direction without purpose. Dean could understand what it was now, Castiel wasn't in control of his new magical abilities and some random spell was sparking to life inside him.

The scene ended as quickly as it had begun and Dean found himself reaching forward for a Castiel that wasn't really in his time. And yet, even though they hadn't connected then Dean could still feel it. Like a piece of him was with Castiel, had comforted him a little bit in a time where he needed to hear Dean's voice. He could feel Castiel with him, going through this same process of meditation at the same time in some other reality. It was a comfort and focused his mind a lot easier than just sitting in his own silence ever could have.


	27. In Between: Timeline's Corruption

**In Between**

"This is it?" Sam breathed out as they ascended the staircase toward the gate, his heart beat rapidly and while his mind swarmed with so many questions he asked the most obvious one. Part of him wanted to slap himself, the rest just didn't quite care enough to really think on it any further than that.

"Yes," Castiel sighed in return and rolled his neck a little to crack it. He was aware they could possibly end up being there for a while; his own training hadn't quite gone quick as lightning. Then again he was in a state of grief he thought he could hear Dean everywhere. It was enough to make him feel like he was going crazy; even now he had to wonder about it. "You will meet the celestial beings responsible for making Dean and I high priests, and-"

"You mean the guys who can't take care of the friggin' world on their own?" Jet scoffed, "Yeah, right, sign me up! I wanna meet those guys…"

"Stow your sarcasm, will you? They aren't anything to scoff at and quite frankly I don't think you understand what's going on enough to judge." Castiel countered Jet's snarky-ness with his own snap of anger, not in the mood to really sit and listen to it.

"You're right," Sam nodded and hurried up the rest of the stairs and ahead of them, "We don't know enough, I'm going to go ask."

"Sam!" Cas shouted after him but Sam, and of course Jet who wouldn't let Sam out of his sight in a weird little world if he had a say in it, escaped ahead. Cas would have run after them but he was still feeling the effects of the domus, his legs were shaky and he felt a bit nauseous with sudden movements. "Fucking people…" He growled out.

Sam walked into the main room with the three celestial beings and though he felt like maybe he should stop and bow or something he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd thought when he was face to face with them maybe they'd demand it but they didn't, in fact their faces seemed unchanging as he approached. "So what are you?" He asked after a moment of looking around.

"We are holy beings that watch over the universe." Only the one in the center spoke, Sam turned his attention toward it, glad to have an indication of which one to focus on.

"So are you what people are referring to when they say 'god'?"

"Yes. We are the deities that mankind refers to; in many worlds this is the case. However some realities have their own gods present within them."

Sam furrowed his brow and crossed his arms, trying to find something to do with them, "So… then are you above that?"

"Yes. We are more than those deities."

"So then why haven't _you_ fixed the universe?" Jet stepped forward, his expression pinched a little like it usually did when he was irritated, a sign that he was attempting to not get severely pissed off. "Why does Cas have to run around by himself for centuries alone? Almost dying for you bastards when you're these all-powerful god things?"

"We never said we were all powerful, Jet."

Jet opened his mouth but paused and stepped back, glancing over at Sam for a moment before looking back to the celestial beings. They were larger than life, really, and the way they glowed was pretty calming in itself. It all seemed so weird, standing in front of three cloaked individuals, the only part of them he could really identify was their eyes, and yet they still felt less sketchy than majority of the people he'd met in his life. Jet fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt, contemplating what to say next when Castiel entered the room.

The priest stepped inside and proceeded into a low, sweeping bow onto one knee before rising again. "I'm sorry, I don't currently have the strength to stop them from bombarding you."

"It is alright, Castiel." The celestial chuckled softly and gave a gentle wave of its hand, "We were expecting this. Sam Winchester is renowned for his curiosity."

Sam blinked and looked up at them, "I… what?"

"You are seeking knowledge of the events unfolding, are you not?"

"Well… yeah, I am. I'm tired of fumbling around in the dark while Cas has to be the only one who knows what we're up against."

"You are lucky to have Castiel's knowledge though it too is limited. One can only experience so much in the span of time that Castiel has had."

Sam exchanged a look with Castiel who had found a pillar to lean against for support; it was tiring having to stand for too long. He wanted to push the subject but from the way the beings had avoided the real topic he figured he wouldn't get the answers right away. Instead he considered Dean, he could tell by Castiel's face that he was thinking about it too, the difference was that Cas understood what happens with this whole scenario. "What's… what's happening to my brother right now?"

"His magic has awakened inside him, he's under going training so it does not tear him apart."

"I don't like how calmly you say that…" Jet muttered, his hand twitching at his side as he started to pace the room. "Can we help him?"

"No, Dean must take this challenge on his own. We've done everything we can for him."

Castiel scoffed lightly and looked down at his feet, remembering clearly what their 'help' entailed. Basically letting him feel like he'd lost his mind after forcing his magic out of him, taking over his body and using it to kill his husband. It wasn't what Cas would have called 'helpful' but after saving a few realities he'd never say it wasn't worth it. "He'll be alright, it's not that hard." He wished it was so easy but Dean was in his right head, he wasn't stricken with grief and he knew there were people who cared about him waiting. Cas wasn't too worried about him. Worried, but not to the point of being sick over it.

Sam and Jet both glanced toward him but neither spoke up immediately. Instead they shifted around, Jet wandered a bit closer and Sam tried to appear a little less concerned about it. "What happened when you did it?" Sam was the one to ask, of course.

"It…" Cas paused as the memories dredged up, his mind opening something he'd tucked away. Not forgotten but hidden. "It was scary at first, I'd just lost my husband." He folded his arms around himself and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. "I was hurting, from the heartache and from the spell that was trying to come out. But once they put me in the place Dean's in now I calmed down. I-" He laughed at himself and rubbed at his face, trying to find a reason to not look up. "I thought I could hear _him_."

"Dean?" Jet asked softly, walking over and dropping down near by.

"Yeah… He was there with me. He kept telling me it was going to be fine, that _he knew_ I'd be okay someday." Cas wiped at his eyes as tears welled up, "I will never forget it… I was so scared and sad, I wanted to see him… I know he wasn't really there and that I was probably completely insane but I love that memory."

Jet and Sam shared another look as the younger Winchester plopped down across from them, his long leg stretching out and nudging at Castiel's foot. "Hey, he wasn't wrong, was he?"

Cas smiled and shook his head, "No, I suppose he wasn't."

"So what now? Just sit here?" Jet leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head.

"Pretty much, I'm gonna try asking more questions." Sam got up and went to do just that, though the celestials weren't particularly chatty.

* * *

_Hours Later…_

* * *

Something about the celestials didn't sit right with Sam; time slipped by as they waited and the more it passed the more he started to wonder. The answers they received were far from 'answers' really, they got a lot 'we did not say that' and 'there is no real answer to give'. It was starting to get on his nerves but Sam refrained from really saying anything specifically about it. In truth he just wanted to see his brother but knew that they had to wait. Occupying his mind with other questions was probably just as important, like questions about the monsters they were facing or the significance of the other realities and why now after centuries of Castiel going through it all, were they running into duplicates?

In fact the holy beings seemed familiar in ways that Sam was comfortable and at the same time very uncomfortable with. It wasn't all that different from the discomfort he felt from running into himself over and over again, like he knew the man he was looking at but at the same time he really couldn't say that he did. How well did he know himself? How well did he know his brother or friends? Sure, he could blame his ignorance on the fact that the alternate versions of them experienced different things and grew up in different realities, but then where was his excuse when it came to the people he was travelling with? Castiel he'd hardly known through a hole in the ground and he felt like maybe he knew more about the high priest's psyche than he knew about Jet's, and possibly even Dean's.

"Can I ask you a favour?" He spoke up again, the first to break the silence in the time that had passed.

The center celestial looked at him and nodded, the other two still unmoving and completely lost on Sam. They never spoke, they barely budged, and from the distance the travellers had kept that whole time he hadn't gotten a good look at them. As far as he knew the damn things could have holes where their eyes should be and he would be none the wiser.

"Do you have a book on these monsters? Something I can reference? Cas is the only one who knows anything and last time he was the one who was affected by the domus, leaving Dean to scramble around and try to figure it out. Jet and I aren't much help as it is, I _need_ something on these things." He watched the way the center being glanced over to the others that both moved at once to look at it, there seemed to be a silent discussion between their eyes alone before the holy one on the left revealed an item from its robe.

"One had been started by a young man some time ago but he was unable to continue his battles. If you'd like-" It stopped when the being on its right gripped its other arm.

Sam furrowed his brow as they seemed to bicker for a moment, glancing over at Castiel who appeared a little confused at the behaviour but more along the lines of 'you choose now to do this?' Cas looked his way and shrugged, a sort of 'what can you do' expression on his face.

The one the on the right nodded toward Sam but the center being shook their head before reaching out the book for Sam to take. "You will make better use of it than us."

Sam approached, feeling like maybe it should be more impressive to approach the holy beings of the universe but it felt like crossing any other room. He took the book in hand, pulling it to himself and tracing his fingers over the binding for a moment. It was so familiar; he looked up at the center being that appeared so much smaller in front of him than across the room. Everything felt strange, like deja vu over and over and over again. He didn't like the feeling, he didn't like how much he recognized the eyes of the celestial before him, he didn't like how familiar the journal in his hands was.

Up close they were so much smaller, and Sam realized that it wasn't just a feeling he was having, they really were smaller up close. He glanced back to where Jet and Castiel were perched, seeing the air between them ripple subtly every so often. It was illusionary magic, or something. He looked back up, "Who are you?" He heard himself ask the question and the being's eyes seemed to smile through their veil.

"Now is not the time to answer that question either, Sam."

Even its voice started to ring bells, but the way it came across sounded like something was altering it from the original, like it was speaking through some kind of scrambler. However despite how much Sam thought he could recognize this being, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Sam, come here." Castiel called to him, "I know what you're feeling and it's normal."

"What? That these guys freak him the fuck out?" Jet frowned and raised an eyebrow at the holy creatures that Castiel seemed to serve so aimlessly. "Ever stop to think you should question this kind of shit?"

"Jet, you don't know enough to really be saying something like that." Cas replied calmly, not taking Jet's annoyance to heart.

"I don't know enough? They aren't answering any important fucking questions, when am I going to know enough?"

"Just shut up for a minute," Cas muttered as Sam sat down beside him, "You feel like you know them, right?"

"Yeah," Sam murmured, lifting up the journal and flipping it open to the first page. He froze, eyes widening as the 'this journal belongs to' line sunk in.

_John Winchester_

Signed and everything, just like the one Sam had back at his place. This was his dad's journal, it was exactly the same as the one he'd hidden in his dresser, among all of his things for years, he was sure of it. The lettering was the same, weird way he'd scribbled the 'J' and etched out 'Winchester' like some form of script. Sam knew it had to be the same, he'd practiced signing his name the same way, trying to mimic the way his father had once written Winchester like it was a legacy thing. By now it was habit and just how Sam wrote it, but back when he was younger and trying to do it he'd studied it harder than Dean ever had. Dean didn't even know Sam had it; he'd never shared it.

"I know this journal..." he looked up at the celestials that remained where they were, suddenly seemingly larger than life again but Sam knew why. "Was my dad the one who wrote this?"

"No."

His heart skipped and everything felt wrong as he skimmed ahead to look at the first entries.

It was his writing.

"It... was a Sam?"

"Yes."

"What?" Castiel snapped and stood up, snatching the book from Sam's hands, "How? Sam Winchester was never a Priest!"

"We never said he was, Castiel. Why does it seem so odd to you that a duplicate of a man you know, a man you knew, could exist? You've run into many already."

"You're implying that this other Sam travelled the mainline," Cas spoke as he looked through the journal a little, noting the different entries and reading them quickly. The first one was a good place to start and it was one that made him stutter to a halt; it described the first incident's demoni situation. The ability to possess a human if its power level was high enough, the way it was weaker when in control of a human body and all the things that Cas had ever explained to Sam about the creature. There next entry was a raptoribus, then the aer situation where they ran into several over and over again, it was eerie. Recounting their journey as if the Sam with them had been writing all along.

"Sam," Cas looked over at him trying to keep his surprise to a minimum, "Did you bring your father's journal with you?"

"I…" Sam furrowed his brow and bit his lower lip, "No, I didn't. I mean I had packed some things when we first left but I never ended up bringing it with from the first world."

"Yeah, my shit got ruined first thing." Jet laughed, "Dean and I landed right in a pond or something. It was kind of funny, though at the time I was pissed."

"So then…" Castiel shook his head and looked up at the celestials, "Is this a timeline thing?"

The center one nodded.

"I don't understand, if they were using the mainline I would have seen them!"

"It's an alternate timeline for the mainline; a timeline that was never meant to exist but found its way into doing so."

"So… there's an alternate timeline for the mainline that's a connector between alternate realities… Do I have that right?" Jet pushed off the floor as he spoke, walking up beside Cas and looking down at the journal in his hands.

"Yes…" Cas muttered, also trying to wrap his head around it. "Essentially there are alternate realities of the realities we've visited already. I didn't know the mainline could have a different timeline of its own."

"It can and it does." The celestial sounded tired as it spoke, like it had to do this at other points in time.

"How many times have you had to explain this to us?" Sam blurted out, starting to feel very insignificant in a mess of worlds and timelines.

"Never, when the timeline split from where it was supposed to go the original timeline reset itself. The corrupted timeline has since stopped moving and is frozen where it is, the correct route, the real timeline reset itself to a point centuries back."

"So did the timeline fix itself from the corruption point?" Castiel handed the journal back to Sam and turned his full attention to the beings he'd been taking orders from for as long as he could remember, "Are we past the point where it split the first time?"

"No, that time is approaching."

"What do we need to do?" Cas pushed, hoping for an answer.

"The high priests will face difficult moments and how they emerge will alter the timeline. I believe you will not end up like the previous timeline; I've already changed it for you."

"What?" Cas, Sam and Jet all asked in unison. But their words fell flat because the illusionary magic creating their larger image grew thicker until they could no longer see through it. When it cleared the celestials were gone entirely.

"What happened!?" Jet pointed and shouted, mostly directing the question Castiel's way.

"They do this too, mostly when they don't want to answer more questions." Cas growled and went back to where he was sitting. "We wait for Dean and then we leave, that's all."

Sam gripped the journal and looked down at it again, his mind trying to piece it all together. "They changed it for us? Does that mean that the things I'll read after this won't actually happen that way?"

"It's kind of like we got a cheat sheet, you think that's what he meant?" Jet looked down at Cas who seemed more frustrated than either of them.

"Possibly… they've just given us something that'll tell us what happens to us… either they've already taken the precautions to change it and the situations in that journal won't line up with what we're about to go through, or it'll be the same and we need to read ahead and change the outcome."

Sam sat down and flipped it back to the first page, "Well I'm going to get some reading in while we wait for Dean."


	28. In Between: Training

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry the last chapter took so long to update! And thank you to my reviewers, these stories are for you ;)**

* * *

**Training Realm**

Dean would describe his position as 'floating on his back', like he were at the beach or something. His mind rushed over things briefly but soon quieted itself; he kept going back to the thought of Castiel going through this same thing. What was it like for him? Had it been so peaceful or had his magic tried to tear him apart? Dean thought he was fairing pretty well, but then again everything about him seemed to be much more physical than Castiel. Cas was always spouting off spells and crazy magic, just kind of instinctively knowing things and how to do them. Maybe that's how this would turn out; maybe that's where his training would get him.

Considering nothing felt different yet he highly doubted it, but lately he'd learned not to completely dismiss anything.

As he started to drift again, his body and mind feeling like they were melting together and becoming one afterthought, he could hear something. Dean pulled himself from the state of peace and listened harder, everything in him telling him it was important to hear it. After a few seconds he recognized the sounds somewhat; someone was crying.

Dean lifted himself up and started walking, everything felt so weightless but he walked anyway. The scenery wasn't really there but at the same time he could see it, little things from his memories, from his life, and then some he remembered seeing in Cas' nightmare, from Castiel's past. The further he went the more it looked like things that Castiel might have been involved with and Dean was certain now who the crying belonged to.

"Cas?" He called out and immediately the crying quieted, like the other person was listening.

"Dean?" The voice was so meek and pained that it brought tears to Dean's eyes just to hear it.

"Cas, I'm right here." He called again, seeing a figure curled in on itself ahead of him. It had to be Castiel, it was _his_ Castiel but from another timeline. He could feel it, between them, their partnership and everything else in between. Something about time in this space didn't really exist; he could feel it with every little part of his being that this space was something else. It wasn't meant to keep them separate from everyone else; it was to bring them together. He wondered if Castiel had known all that time they'd known one another, but his suspicions were put to rest when he finally settled next to Castiel's side.

"Dean? Is that really you?" Cas sobbed though Dean could tell he hadn't wanted to, Cas was a very strong-willed person and crying like this wasn't something he'd do in front of others willingly. "Baby I'm so sorry, I-"

"Shhh," Dean smiled and pulled Castiel into his arms, holding him still and secure, waiting for the crying and blubbering fit to pass. _'He doesn't know who I am, he thinks I'm the other Dean…' _He thought briefly but decided it really wasn't worth it to try and explain. He knew Castiel could feel it, their connection, but at that moment in time Castiel believed it was because of the marriage he'd been in. It was alright though, Dean knew things would change. "It's okay, Cas. You didn't do anything wrong."

"But I killed you…" Cas sighed against his chest, sniveling and trying to regain his composure, "I-I murdered you. What's happening? Did I go crazy?"

"You're not crazy, this is just magic training." Dean said calmly and ran a hand through Cas' hair, something he'd wanted to do for a while. It felt so intimate, just that brief little touch. He could remember the moment they'd shared in that shower, how close they had been then. It was something he hadn't imagined himself being able to do, being intimate enough with someone to be able to touch them like this whenever he wanted. It was a strange feeling and yet it all seemed so right.

"Magic training?"

"Yeah," Dean chuckled at how confused and clueless Cas sounded. It didn't sound like him at all, the Cas he knew was so obnoxious with how he knew everything, always answering questions like they were the biggest annoyance to his entire existence.

"I don't understand… what do I do? What's happening, Dean?" The tears came again, Cas' body seized a little as he tried to fight it off but it shook him despite his best efforts. "I'm so scared," he whimpered, fingers digging into Dean's shirt and pulling it as his hand clenched around the fabric. "I'm so scared this isn't real, that I'll wake up and you won't be there. Dean, please don't leave. Please be there. Don't leave me, I'm so sorry! Don't, please don't… Don't be dead, Dean. Please. Please don't be dead. I need you. I love you."

"Cas," Dean wanted to quiet Castiel's incoherent babbling but no matter how tightly he held on Castiel still seemed to shake violently. The harder Cas clung to him the more it started to hurt, Dean could feel the front of his shirt getting wet and wished with all his might that he had the power to stop Castiel from going through this. "It's okay, Cas, baby it's okay."

Cas inhaled so sharply and sporadically that it wracked his body harder, "It hurts," he whined softly, lifting his head from Dean's chest only to wrap his arms around him and bury his face against Dean's neck. "I can't take it… baby I want to be with you. I can't do this alone."

"You won't be alone," Dean adjusted the way he was holding Cas and cradled him a little better, trying his best to soothe the stiffened muscles and relax Castiel. "I know you will be okay one day. It hurts now, I know that and I can't stop that, but someday you will be with me again. I promise you, if you keep going you will see me again."

Castiel quieted down and seemed to loosen up, his grip much less painful and slowly drifting to something normal. "I will?" His voice was hushed and a little raspy from the crying.

"Yes, but you'll have to continue on your own for a little while. I know you can do it," Dean smiled and nudged Castiel's cheek when the other man leaned back to look at him, "You're the toughest guy I've ever met."

Cas tried to smile but it looked like it got a little stuck. "So… how do I do this magic thing?"

Dean laughed and held onto Cas as he lay back again, "You lean back like this, close your eyes and relax until you feel like you're floating." He felt weird explaining things to Castiel and he had to wonder about the Castiel he knew, was he going to know which Dean had helped him? Dean had an inkling that the answer was 'probably not', which only furthered his questioning to 'how would Castiel take this information?' Regardless, he had work to do in helping Cas figure out his magic.

"I… I kind of feel like I'm floating…" Cas muttered quietly, still happily pressed against Dean and really Dean wasn't about to push him away.

"Good, so then do you feel it?"

Cas was quiet for a long time and Dean thought the answer might be no but when he looked down, Cas was glowing. His skin had a luminescence about it, a pale light glistening very softly and making him look more angelic than ever. "I do… I think I do." The light flickered and brightened every few moments, Dean was starting to worry but Castiel only smiled as it shone. "It feels so warm, but it's not a temperature at all. I don't know how to explain it, Dean."

"Just embrace it and learn it, baby." Dean relaxed and leaned back as well, a little surprised at himself for calling Castiel 'baby' so easily. Part of him was worried Cas might snap to his senses and suddenly know who Dean was, that he'd be pissed for all of this and basically end all of Dean's chances at getting closer. Of course he knew that was actually fairly ridiculous, Cas was waiting for him back with Sam, Jet, and the celestials. Cas wasn't about to start kicking his ass any time soon.

Despite his mind's ability to distract itself Dean found that he was feeling that warmth Castiel had mentioned. He was right, it wasn't like a temperature but more of that kind of warmth you feel when you're with people you care about, or when you know that someone loves you. It tingled at times but that didn't bother him too much, not when he knew that Cas was right there experiencing it with him.

The process didn't take that long, or at least it didn't feel like it. Dean opened his eyes to see blue staring back at him; Castiel was perched over him with a smile that was enough to make Dean feel like he was falling in love all over again. "Hey," He grinned in return but before he could say more Cas' lips were on his. It was so soft and sweet, a perfect pressure against his mouth that didn't demand anything or require more from him. He felt like he could slip into that kiss forever and it wouldn't matter to him, but he knew better than that.

"Thanks, Dean." Cas whispered as he pulled away, "I feel better now, though I'm still not sure what's going on."

"It's okay not to know sometimes." Dean chuckled, "I guess that's it… I'll see you around." He could feel himself slipping, being pulled back to where he was supposed to be. He didn't really want to go, especially not when he could see Castiel's face twist like it did at his words. All the pain there, the redness of his eyes and the way he tried so desperately not to cry again just made Dean want to stay but he couldn't. He was going back to Cas _now_, the later he had just promised this Cas was right now.

"I love you…" Cas' whimper echoed in Dean's ears as everything rushed away. He inhaled deeply and swallowed thickly past a lump in his throat, trying just as hard not to cry for Castiel.

* * *

**In Between**

Sam looked up when he heard it, a shaky breath that didn't belong to the three already present in the room. "Dean!" He bolted to his brother's side who was just starting to sit up. "Dean, are you okay? How did it go?"

"Hey Sammy," Dean rubbed his eyes quickly and smiled at the bright eyes of his curiosity driven brother. "I'm fine and it went pretty well."

"What happened in there, man? Cas said his experience was a little rocky, yours go smoothly at least?" Jet knelt down at Dean's other side, a quick glance over him to make sure he was okay.

"Rocky how?" Dean looked up at Castiel who had also approached though the other priest had given Sam and Jet the closer spaces next to Dean.

"Nothing, just a little loss of sanity." Castiel's mouth quirked in a sort of smile like he was hiding it. Dean smirked back at him and shook his head.

"I don't think that's what it was, Cas." The way he'd said it hinted that he knew, and even been so subtle as to hint toward it Castiel still caught on. Dean could see it in his face.

"Was…" Cas' lower lip trembled, he was emotionally shaken up- Dean could hear it all in his voice. "Was that you?"

"Just now, yeah." Dean stood up and steadied himself enough to look Cas in the eye, "You remember it all, don't you? Even though it was a long time ago for you?"

Cas bit back a sob, taking a shuddering breath as he turned away to cover his mouth. His movements indicated he really didn't know what he was doing, one step forward and a few to the side. He turned a couple times to try and choose a direction but he had none.

"Cas," Dean went to his side and took his hand, holding firmly despite Castiel's flinching attempt to pull away. "Cas, would you please look at me?"

"You're… you're not lying." Cas stammered out, lifting his gaze to Dean's, "I never remembered it… but you were wearing the uniform back then, before I'd ever even seen it. It really was you. You were there then- just now… I don't-"

"Calm down," Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel, calming him again, just like he had done before. "It's okay, Cas. I don't think there's any kind of time in that space. But that doesn't matter, what matters is that I'm here. Just like I promised you, I'm here."

Castiel stared blankly as the words settled, his hands hesitating as his mind did the same before he threw his arms around Dean and crushed his face against his partner's shoulder. He dug his fingers in again, his heart thundering in his ears as his brain caught up with it. He could feel it again, the strength of the connection he'd felt during his training. Cas had always thought it was the love he'd felt for his husband that gave him that feeling, the one that made him feel like he'd be okay. It was what gave him hope and strength to push forward, because he knew how important and strong that connection was. But now he understood he was wrong. It was the connection to his partner that he'd felt that day, not the love for his husband.

"I still had nightmares about him," Cas whispered.

Dean nodded silently, his hand daring to cradle the back of Castiel's head as they stood together.

"Him trying to strangle me… I would wake up in my nightmare and though I couldn't see him I could hear him ask me to look. He would ask me to look at him, over and over until I did. His face… I would open my eyes to see the same dead… He was always just lying there." Cas stammered before lifting his head again to look at Dean, "But those nightmares haven't come back since you, since I met you."

Dean smiled and nodded, "I'm glad."

"I don't know if it means anything…"

"Does it matter?" Dean gently pushed Cas' head back against his shoulder and rested cheek on the soft dark hairs, "It's okay now."

Cas closed his eyes and relaxed against him, "Thank you." He sighed.

"What just happened?" Jet looked over at Sam who couldn't help the 'little brother' smirk on his face.

"Dean and Cas finally figured out they were made for each other, I think."

Jet scoffed lightly and looked at the two high priests with a raised eyebrow, "Somehow I doubt it's that easy, Dean's too much of a mutton-head for it to ever go that smoothly."

Sam laughed and nodded, "Yeah, probably."


	29. Fallout: Living Wasteland

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks again for reading guys, hope you're enjoying it so far :) I also hope that this inspires some of you to go and read the stories I've referenced, the writing probably isn't the same since I've gotten better but still worth a look through. Anyways, please leave a review and thanks for all the favourites and follows. Lemme know what you think so far and if you have any ideas for monsters, I'd love to incorporate any of your ideas if I can :D**

**P.S. FPwoper and JR Granger: shhh.**

* * *

_Fragments of Memories_

"_Cas check it out!" Sam dropped onto the couch next to Castiel, a large binder in hand. Cas was a little perturbed by the sudden appearance of his new neighbour but he did well not to show it. He had, after all, been invited over for the tenth weekend in a row._

"_What's up, Sam?" He asked before realizing that Sam was holding a photo album in hand. "Oh my god, is that-?"_

"_It is," Sam grinned wide as he opened it to the first picture of Dean, "Perfect for embarrassing your older brother with the guy he likes."_

_Cas' face lit up like a Christmas tree, cheeks burning like Sam had lit a fire under his chin. "He… he what?"_

_Sam didn't reply with more than turning the page and pointing out the next image, though Cas couldn't mistake that evil little brother grin for anything else. Sam's body shook a little when he attempted to hold back a cough, it was only a few seconds but it caught Castiel's attention._

"_You okay?"_

"_Yeah, just catching a cold or something." Sam smiled, "I'll be fine."_

* * *

**Mainline**

Castiel stepped through the portal last, a feeling a bit strange to go through a rift that someone else had made. He'd never had a partner, always did things alone, so when Dean opened their escape route he was hesitant to go through it, but only for a moment. "Not bad," He offered a smile and received on in return.

"Thanks," Dean took a moment to look around at the mainline again. "Feels like forever already since we were here…"

"Couldn't have been that long," Jet shrugged, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck, "Though maybe you've got a point."

Dean looked down below the mainline's road into the void, there was still a world surrounded in darkness, the same one Castiel refused to let them go near. He wanted to ask about it again but knew that maybe it wasn't the best time to start an argument. He'd already pushed his luck with being the person Castiel remembered from magic training, he didn't need to mess with that too. "So… you guys said that the celestials disappeared, does that mean they're gone?"

"No," Cas shook his head and walked to Dean's side, "They left the immediate space they were in, that doesn't mean they're gone. They'll return to that space again, they always do. Though right now I'm not sure they'll answer us if we need them, so be careful."

"Doesn't matter," Sam grinned, "We've got a journal about some of the monsters we'll be fighting, maybe even a bit on the worlds we'll come across. We're set."

They had explained everything to Dean, including the journal being John's and having Sam's writing in it. The corrupted timeline and the celestials' last words to them; he couldn't make sense of it either and they'd all decided that dwelling on something they had no answers to was a waste of time when there were realities that needed them. Dean agreed with the 'move forward' plan, though it didn't stop the questions from bombarding them all. But no one had the answers to said questions so asking them would only induce more frustration and arguing and that was even more of a waste of time.

Instead they moved forward, Sam hoping to pick which world to go to, following the journal but he couldn't quite make out which one his other self had spoken about. "I guess maybe we just pick one?" He finally said, a little deflated.

"Yeah… but can I see something?" Jet asked as he snatched the journal from Sam's hands, the younger male ready to throw a fit but stifling it last second.

"What're you looking for, man?" Dean leaned over his friend's shoulder and peered at the pages. He didn't exactly recognize it to be Sam's writing but he trusted his brother's judgment all the same.

"The ending, maybe the other Sam wrote about what happened to corrupt the last timeline…" He murmured and it was possibly the smartest thing Dean had heard come from Jet's mouth. Granted Jet could be a hell of a motivational person when he wanted to but good and smart ideas rarely came out of the guy.

The other three waited a few seconds before Castiel was the first to lose patience, "Read it out loud Jet."

The oldest of the three brunettes glanced up from the journal for a second before going back to it, "Last entry doesn't look like the first ones, more of a diary kind of thing. '_I'm still not sure how to tell when a day goes by in here or if it does at all, regardless we've been waiting on the mainline road for ages. I still can't believe he did it, what were you thinking Dean? Did you just let go? Was it so hard to just keep going? Take the chance? I guess maybe it was for you. Cas hasn't woken up yet; I don't think he will… Maybe I'm just losing hope in this mess. The magic surge that went through him was strong; I think some of it passed to Jet and I too… Was that you, Dean? I don't know why I'm writing this down, either. Maybe I think you'll read this some day Dean, if you're still out there. I'm done with it. The entire mainline went out, the fires have gone and nothing is moving anymore, not even the void. We're stuck, that's it… Can't even ask any higher powers for help, they didn't come back after that, Dean. You were right, it killed them. I guess immortal wasn't something they told us they were either…'_" Jet trailed off and skimmed to the bottom of the page.

"Is that it?" Sam asked after a few seconds of waiting.

"There's some smeared stuff, scribbled out, and at the end I can make out the words 'It's over."

Dean ran a hand into his hair, "Okay… so what did we get from that?"

"They… killed the holy beings?" Castiel answered hesitantly, "Or… the ones from their timeline?"

"But that doesn't make sense, why would they do that?" Sam shook his head, "No, I think something happened that resulted in their death. This is really starting to freak me out, guys…"

"Don't worry," Dean gripped Sam's shoulder and pulled him into a hug, something he felt they hadn't done enough lately. "I'm not going anywhere, I promised Cas and that means you too, alright? The Dean in the corrupted timeline left, by the sound of it. I won't."

Jet wanted to expression something about that, something about saying 'You can't promise that', or mentioning that they didn't know the circumstances of why the other Dean had left. Their counterparts sounded like they were almost _exactly _the same people, maybe even down to their backstories. If this Dean swore he'd never leave then the other one must have said the same thing. Instead he smiled and clapped his best friend on the back, "Let's get going, waiting here isn't going to figure anything else out."

Sam took the journal back from Jet; feeling like it was a bit of a victory despite the other male not really trying to hold onto it. "Jet's right, we should get going."

With that they chose a world that looked like it was in most need of help, Dean sent Sam and Jet in first, pausing for a moment to look at Castiel. "So, about all of this-"

Cas' cheeks were flushed as he leaned in and stole a kiss, "Later." He whispered before disappearing into the world portal. Dean smiled and touched his lips for a second, following his partner inside.

* * *

**Fallout**

Jet groaned, rubbing his hand over his head and sitting up from the rubble he'd so gracelessly hurdled into. "That could have been so much smoother." He muttered, looking around at his immediate surroundings. It reminded him instantly of the first world, post apocalyptic down to the slightest imperfection, maybe even better. The word wasteland came to mind as he slowly pulled himself up, seeing the desolation all around him.

And it wasn't just that there were destroyed buildings, there was _no life_ anywhere, not even plants. In the last one there was greenery everywhere, like a monster had wreaked havoc or something, but this place looked like a nuke had gone off. Jet bitterly chuckled to himself, not too eager to find out if he were right.

He took a step to realize that what he was standing on wasn't a ground covered in a lot of garbage, it was a rooftop, and it wasn't particularly stable. He felt the surface give a little beneath his weight and heard the creak of what should be a decent structure. Jet moved to the edge of the building where the wall would at least add a little bit of stability, glancing down to see that he wasn't exactly close to the ground. It looked like he must have been on top of a mall or something because it was a straight drop to pavement below.

"Fucking perfect…" he growled to himself, at least a little relieved that he wasn't with just Sam again, he wasn't sure how he'd get out of that situation cleanly, let alone Dean's little brother. Though he wouldn't have minded one of the super powered priests to be there, Cas would probably just jump off the roof without a second thought. Dean would probably hesitate but it'd result in the same 'I'm superman and nothing hurts me' landing. Jet mentally cursed them both as he lowered himself over the edge, his foot catching and holding on a broken part of the wall. He grit his teeth and started fumbling his way down the decrepit building, finding that it being in pieces was more of a help than he thought it'd be.

The climb was straining but he made it down okay, dropping the last ten feet because there was absolutely nothing to hold onto. Jet rolled when he hit the ground and paused to curse a few times before moving to get to his feet. He heard the strangest sound; he might've thought it was a cow or something if he hadn't seen the thing. It looked like a sort of cow alright but it had two friggin' heads, had looked like it'd been skinned in some parts while the rest probably had a horrendous skin disease.

And it didn't look too happy to see him.

It charged, all 1600 pounds of it. Jet rushed to his feet but it didn't matter, the sound of heavy gunfire thundered and the mutated beast screeched before collapsing to the ground. Jet gasped out what was left in his lungs, his eyes opened wide and frantic as he stared at the thing that just about flattened him. "The fuck was that thing!?" He shouted as he turned his head, coming face to face with the barrel of what looked like a heavy artillery rifle.

"It was a Brahmin, you fuckin' idiot." Jet heard his own voice from the man standing above him and knew instantly he'd run into his counterpart in the world. He would have said something in return but the end of the rifle connected with his head seconds later, Jet couldn't exactly see straight. The second blow knocked him out cold.

"Son of a bitch… It's me…?" The conscious Jet muttered after tapping at the other's limp body with his boot. "What the fuck…"

"Don't know." His usually quiet comrade replied, Longshot's hand on his rifle casually ready to shoot the doppelganger if necessary.

"See, it's times like this that I wish we had some long-distance communications or something." Jet grumbled as he heft the cleaner, younger looking man onto his shoulder. "He even smells like soap. This is freaking weird."

The two walked to the road together before Longshot finally responded, "You remember what soap smells like?"

* * *

Dean looked around and smiled when he saw Sam standing next to him, at least he was with someone this time. "Well looks like it's you and me."

Sam smirked, "I guess. But… what are we looking at here? It's a mess."

"Yeah…" Dean wanted to cover his mouth, the place smelled awful and he really didn't want to know the source of it. "Looks like another apocalypse?"

"I'd say man-made this time. No demons or satan involved here…" Sam tried to take it all in, the ruins, the dusty rubble, destruction and pools of murky water.

"I wouldn't be so sure," It was Castiel's voice but it wasn't anywhere close to friendly, he sounded ready to kill. Dean was about to turn around when he felt the cold steel of a gun against the back of his head. "Don't."

"Cas? Hey, don't shoot."

"I've shot people who have groveled a lot more than that." Cas snarled, shoving the barrel harder against Dean's head. It was strange; the idea of a gun had never lost the feeling of terror that went with it. The thing could still kill, that was probably the part that was most frightening. "Who are you?"

"Dean, this is Sam."

"I mean really." The way he snapped out the words was vicious, like there was no form of a bluff involved.

Dean was about to answer again when the Castiel behind him grabbed his shoulder and roughly spun him around to stare him in the face. And did Dean ever stare. There was something radioactive about the blue in this Castiel's eyes, it was colder than he'd ever seen it and angrier than he thought they could get. "What happened to you?" He nearly whispered the question but Cas stepped back all the same. It was a strange thing to ask and normally worth being shot over but the way he'd said it, like he knew Cas was supposed to be something different, really struck home.

"You aren't Dean," Cas retorted without actually responding, "Where are you from? Did someone make you?"

"Another world," Sam answered first, turning around to look at the striking form of Castiel geared for a fight. He had a weapon strapped to each limb above and below a joint, several on his hips and larger rifles on his back. The question to be asked was 'how the hell can you carry that much without falling over?' But Sam refrained. Instead he did his best not to look at the things that might put a hole in his skull. "We're travellers, there are two others with us-"

"Travellers through other worlds?" Cas sneered, damn near mocking them. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me. Why the hell are you here?"

"There's something messing up your world," Dean spoken next, he wasn't quite used to Sam being the one to answer things, then again it'd been a while since it'd been just the two of them.

"You don't fucking say!?" Cas smacked Dean with the side of his rifle, "Tell me something I don't know, dipshit. Everything's messing this goddamn place up. So _why_ are you here?"

"There's something bigger than your used to dealing with, something you can't touch, can't shoot, that's doing things that don't make any logical or scientific sense to anyone. Am I close? Or haven't you been the one to experience it yet?" Dean snarled back, tired of being shoved around by this guy. A Castiel or not he couldn't go around smacking him on the head with a gun, Dean wasn't just going to sit there and let him. "Judging by the distrust on your face I'd say you haven't seen it, which means we're either early or you're not important. Now stop aiming that gun at me and take us to where you and the others live."

The two stared at one another long and hard, Dean held strong and refused to back down against Castiel's glare. It was intense, felt like hours before the raider finally stepped back and let out a soft scoffing noise, "Alright, you've got some guts in you I suppose I could show you." He turned and started away, "Do anything stupid, and I mean _anything_, and I shoot you both. Understood?"

"Got it." Sam exhaled through the anxiety, shoving Dean's arm a little as he stood up.

"Yeah," Dean agreed begrudgingly, following after Castiel's lead. It was a little strange, this Cas was also wearing a trench coat but it was older, ratty and battle worn, and probably not magically hiding a combination weapon. "So you've been through a lot, huh?"

"Asking stupid questions counts as doing something stupid." Castiel called over his shoulder, which basically shut the Winchesters up as they trailed along behind him.

Dean figured calling the guy a bitch counted as stupid too so he kept it to himself.


	30. Fallout: Ghouls and Leaders

_Fragments of Memories_

_Dean ran a hand through Castiel's hair and let it linger a few seconds, "You look amazing," he whispered._

_"And you're messing up my hair," Cas chuckled, reaching up and lowering Dean's hand again. "But thank you, you're pretty fantastic yourself." Their voices were kept very low so as not to disturb the man before them as he read out the long speech that was tradition at every wedding. _

_"The couple has decided they'd like to say something as the final 'I do's'." The priest smiled at them and gave a gesture to indicate they had the spotlight. _

_Cas squeezed Dean's hands reassuringly before his fiancé turned to face the room full of friends and family, "I guess I'd just like to start by saying that Sam would have loved to be here for this. In a way I have him to thank for everything I have today, Cas included. He was the one who urged our relationship to start and he was the one who begged Cas to stay with me even when I tried to push him away... I owe Sam so much for being a blessing and bringing such an amazing person to me. Castiel, I owe you my life and there is nothing I can do to repay you for the kindness and patience you've shown me. I hope you'll be at my side until the day I die."_

_Castiel wiped his eyes and nodded, "I love you Dean, I will be there as long as you need me." he wept softly, "I wanted to thank you for brightening my life, for letting me into your family even though everything was so hard for you. I wish I could say I had been perfect for you but you're right, without Sam we wouldn't be here right now. And after everything we've been through I want you to know I'm so very proud to be a Winchester, finally. I wish Sam were here to see us in person, but I know he's watching from heaven. I'd like to thank him as well, for demanding you bring me a fruit basket, for insisting I come over for dinner every night and stay over on weekends. He gave you to me as much as he gave me to you, I don't know where I'd be with you."_

_"I love you too, Castiel, and I will be in your life for the rest of eternity." Dean pulled Castiel closer, their eyes never losing contact._

_"You may now kiss your spouse."_

* * *

**Fallout Part 2**

Stepping free from the mainline Castiel sighed heavily, knowing immediately that he was alone. "Goddamn it... If the three of them are together I'm going to throw something." He grumbled as he started to look around. The building he was in was run down, decrepit and possibly falling apart; he didn't want to push against any structurally important walls to find out. It looked a grocery store of some kind, though all the shelves were entirely empty. As well, among the rubble and debris there were corpses of humans, mutated humans, and some monsters he couldn't identify. _'Lovely, this reality has monsters normally. It's going to be ridiculous trying to explain this to anyone if we have to...'_

As Castiel roamed for an exit he heard footsteps and voices, none of which sounded familiar from where he was. He pressed himself against a wall and listened closer, Cas thought maybe one of them might be a Sam, but the strange, gruff sounding one was entirely foreign.

"I'm telling you someone's raided this one already," The one who sounded like Sam grumbled as they got closer.

"Shut it, Sammy, I know what it looks like but I'm telling you there's something else here." Cas at least got confirmation on the one being Sam. The other one still sounded like he was gargling water as he spoke, with a seriously sore throat or something.

Considering the area and dead bodies Cas figured he'd be shot at first and spoken to afterward if he didn't make himself known right away. "Hey," He called out loud enough for them to hear.

"Is that Cas?" Sam asked.

"Sounds like him."

Castiel listened as the footsteps came closer and a half broken door was kicked open. He looked up and first smiled at Sam, then saw the thing walking with him. Its skin was deteriorated to the point that it looked more like a zombie than anything, decomposing while still walking around and talking. Its hair had fallen out in patches and any skin that was still left was discoloured. Cas' eyes widened and fear gripped him the thing looked up. He'd never mistake that face, even if it were dead and disintegrating; that was Dean. "Oh my god..." He choked the words out, his hand coming up to cover his mouth as his stomach twisted and threatened to loose anything he'd eaten.

Dean growled low and stalked forward with his gun up, "That's not Cas."

"Dean, calm down," Sam stepped ahead of him and forced his gun lower. "I... I think that thing you were talking about is him."

"It definitely wasn't but if you wanna talk to him don't blame me if you get shot." That voice was so rough; Cas figured he knew why now.

Sam nodded his appreciation and went to approach Castiel with his hands up, "We can tell you aren't the Castiel we know, where are you from? What are you?"

"I'm a High Priest of The Faith," Castiel didn't know what else to say, he was still in too much shock about Dean's appearance and state to really think about anything else. "I've been tasked with travelling through different dimensions, realities, and timelines in an attempts to liberate them from a threat."

Sam glanced back at Dean who looked a little less pissed off, "See? Sounds important." He turned to Cas again and motioned for him to follow, "I think we should get the full story somewhere safer, come with us."

"I..." Castiel swallowed past the lump in his throat, he never thought he'd be physically face to face with a decomposed Dean. He'd seen it in his nightmares too many times but now it was right in front of him. 'That's not Dean, that's not your Dean, it's okay.' He reminded himself, "Yes, if you don't mind. I'm with three others, a Dean, Sam, and Jet."

"Sounds about right," Dean chuckled, shouldering his gun and heading for the exit, "C'mon, let's meet up with Cas and Jet, I wonder if they found anything interesting on their run."

Sam nodded and followed his brother out. He wasn't new to running around the Capitol Wastelands but he wasn't experienced in raiding like Dean was, following his big brother was probably the best option at that time.

"What happened here?" Castiel asked as they exited the building, everything looked so desolate it was kind of disturbing.

"From what I remember reading as a kid," Sam glanced over at Dean, they both knew that readings Sam was speaking of weren't entirely reliable, "And what I've gathered since then, there was something called The Great War over 200 years ago. It started and ended October 23, 2077 and lasted approximately 2 hours when all nuclear capable countries launched their weapons. A nuclear warhead and an atomic bomb were the last things dropped, ever since the world has been in a nuclear holocaust."

"You know quite a bit from when you were a kid until now, did someone keep track of this information?" Cas was pretty shocked to hear it and at a loss for words. He figured there'd be a reality where that had happened but to actually be in it was breathtakingly awful.

"Gathered from all over the place," Sam replied, smiling back at him. "I like to know things like history, used to be the teacher of a small town."

"Little Lamplight, you were like 14 teaching other little kids." Dean added, "Isn't actually as impressive as you make it sound."

Cas chuckled; glad to see that even post apocalyptic world Sam and Dean could argue like brothers. "And... Dean?" He fidgeted and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for reacting to you that way..."

"It's alright, I'm used to it." Dean shrugged, "Mostly, anyway. I was more upset that someone might be impersonating Cas."

"He's important to you?"

"Best thing that ever happened to me, and the worst." Dean chuckled and glanced over at Sam who shrugged in return. "Cas spared my life, took me in when he had no reason to, and then saved my ass more times than I can count. Granted I saved him too, but it doesn't seem like the same thing."

"To be fair, Cas is a hard-ass, cold killing machine." Sam pointed out as they trekked across the wasteland with few qualms about what they stepped on or what they passed. "He's mean and has a hell of a temper, so I think putting up with him half the time is pay back enough."

"Watch it, Sammy." Dean warned, looking at his little brother again. They seemed so much harder and colder, like Sam had said about the other Castiel. It was sad to see, really. Cas couldn't wait to get back to his friends.

Which was also extremely odd for him, he had spent centuries alone, had grown frigid to others as well and yet here he was now; wishing he could see his friends. His heart skipped every time he saw Dean, his partner and friend; there was more to their relationship now though he had no idea what. There was Sam who he'd love as his family no matter what. Cas had a soft spot for Sam's; he'd never hurt one if he had a choice in the matter. And then of course Jet had somehow weaseled his way into Cas' stubborn heart. He was charming in his own way, kind of funny when he wanted to be and had his uses. Castiel had never known a Jet back in his own world but he'd met several along the way and it was kind of nice to see that someone else was consistent in personality.

"So what kind of establishment is set up, if this is a nuclear holocaust?" He knew he'd need to ask questions about things to know what was normal before he jumped at every little oddity he ran into.

"It started off as a safe haven for ex-slaves at Lincoln Memorial," Dean was the one to answer; his voice still gave Cas shivers. "But the past few months have been a bit weird, a lot of people have come in from wandering around in the Capital Wasteland looking for help. We're more like a small town now, armed to the teeth and under the command of a very capable leader."

"Who's your leader?"

"Jet," Dean smirked back at him, "You said you know one, right?"

"I… I do…" Cas had no words for what he was feeling. "Jet's your leader?"

"He's smart," Sam nodded, adjusting his weapon and checking around their immediate area for enemies. "He's always got a plan, running for supplies, battle strategies, figuring out how to get more money, et cetera. What gets people though is that he's both incredibly strong and kind. He used to be a slave along with most of the people from Lincoln Memorial; he rallied the people together and warred against the largest group of slavers around. Jet's a great guy."

Cas nodded a little, his face expressing the phrase 'not bad' as best it could without him actually saying it. "It's weird…"

"Why's that?" Dean sounded a bit defensive; evidently he was a good friend with Jet in this reality as well.

"Well the Jet I know is a bit of a moron." Castiel chuckled.

"That is weird." Both Winchesters agreed simultaneous.

"So how far are we walking here?"

Sam shrugged and looked at his map, "I'd say… half a day maybe? Depends on our pace."

Cas sighed heavily but didn't complain out loud, he could tell when he was in the company of no-nonsense people like himself. He almost hated how much the others had rubbed off on him, joking around all the time and laughing. It made him look stupid in front of people like these. _'And when were you so concerned about how you looked to others?'_ He thought dismally to himself.

* * *

Jet was the first to make it back to Lincoln Memorial, his unconscious other self chained up and being dragged behind him. He and his right hand man Longshot had taken a caravan out to collect supplies for the growing population, Longshot got to sit in the caravan as it rolled along, drawn by tame Brahmin. Jet on the other hand walked along beside it, watching the chain to make sure it was still tied to the back of their caravan. The town opened up to him gratefully, people were excited to see him so soon with supplies and more importantly decent food. Jet greeted them all as they came to him, some informing him that a few more people had arrived from the wasteland, others thanking him, and of course the ones who had complaints.

All in all it was pretty normal for him aside from the dead weight attached to their supply run. "Someone tie him up outside our zone and question him, okay?" He asked a couple of his people who hadn't been tasked with doing much of anything, handing over the chain to the biggest one. "I know it's really weird, just get what you can out of him."

"Yes sir," The two replied happily, more than excited to do something for Jet that seemed important.

"They're pretty gung-ho…" Longshot muttered.

"It's been a while since we've done anything more than supply runs, people are getting anxious. I guess they feel like things have gone too well for us." Jet stretched his arms and cracked his back, "That and those two haven't quite been pulling their weight. Anyway, time to unload this crap, c'mon people!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks for reading, as always ;) Please let me know your thoughts on the story so far, or in general. Again if you'd had any ideas about Void monsters I'd like to hear them!**


	31. Fallout: Injured Friends

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, thanks again for reading :) I'm still in shock over the season finale. I take a while to get over these things (it hasn't even been a week gimme a break XP) I had written the last chapter with this one attached, it ended up being over 4000 words so I figured it was cool to chop it in half and make my usual shorter chapter lengths. Sorry to those of you who enjoy long chapters.**

**I don't really know if people like this story as much as I had imagined ahaha I'm so spoiled after writing the Angel Training series XD OH! Almost forgot; also I'm making a comic out of The Ugly Duckling fic. The first page of chapter 1 is up on my deviant art account as well as my tumblr (links to my accounts are on my profile page).**

* * *

**Fallout Part 3**

Jet groaned and immediately tried to bring a hand to his face, only to find he was bound and unable to move freely. "What the hell?" He looked around a little deliriously, his head swimming from the blows he'd taken. He could remember going to the next world and being alone but he was having trouble remember exactly why he had been unconscious. "What happened to that mutant cow thing?"

He didn't get an answer but he did hear people approaching, someone saying something about 'he's awake'. "This can't be good…" Jet muttered when he saw the heavy artillery the guys were carrying, big guns, little guns, knives, bats and one of them seemed to have some kind of metal knuckle on.

"What are you?" The question was gruffly asked and more threatening than curious.

"Human." Jet never did well with this kind of thing.

"Why do you look like Jet?"

"Because I am Jet- Listen, you gotta ask better questions than this, they're kind of hard to answer properly." Jet knew his smart mouth would get him hit again, and it did. He took a solid kick to the stomach for that one. "Shit… You guys aren't playing around, huh?"

The bigger guy grabbed a fistful of hair and forced Jet's head up to look him in the eye. Not that Jet wouldn't have, but this dude apparently needed a show of dominance. Their faces were so close he could smell the guy's breath, another intimidation tactic he'd wager. "Why do you look like Jet? Where are you from? Who sent you here?"

Jet chuckled and pushed his head up against the guy's hand to try and loosen the grip he had on his hair. "I'm from another dimension, I'm here with three others who are probably duplicates of people you know named Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, and Castiel."

"You know the blue-eyed monster?" The other interrogator asked, his tone so much less intimidating than his partner that it nearly made Jet laugh.

"When you say 'blue eyed monster' I'm assuming you mean Cas? I do know a Cas, yeah. He also has blue eyes but he's no monster, he's a High priest of whatever. Big to-do upstairs, if you know what I mean."

"I don't." The gruff one snarled into his face again, dragging his head up more.

"You either hate the Jet that you know," Jet murmured, trying to sound like hair pulling didn't bother him, "Or you have some kind of crush on the guy. Either way, I really hope you aren't getting off on seeing me like this."

His close-and-personal interrogator dropped him after that one, giving a good punch to the gut with his metal knuckle. Jet wheezed and coughed in response, his body wanting to curl in on itself though he was bound too tightly for that. It was a weird position to be in, there were stakes in the ground to chain his legs down while his arms were behind his back around what he figured was a flagpole. He had a bit of wiggle room but not much, not enough to shield his stomach from any further hits.

"You son of a bitch…" He growled, "When they come to untie me you're the first fucker I'm going to hit."

"Not too scared of you, little man."

"No, but you are a little." Jet smirked, he wasn't sure what reputation his other self had but apparently it was pretty epic to get guys as tough as that to fear him.

"Little shit, I'm gonna ground you into the dirt-"

"Hey, he gave us answers we should report it." The other one tried to stop his partner though the big guy would have none of it.

"Back off, I'm going to teach this bastard a lesson first." The guy wound up and cracked into Jet again; loving the pained noises it earned him.

"Man, come on, Jet'll be pissed if we do more than get answers."

"Screw 'im! If he wanted it done a certain way he'd have come here to do it himself." He wound up again this time his partner catching his arm.

"He's trusting us to do it right, this is a big deal. We've barely done anything to help and now he's given us a job, just do what's necessary and then leave it at that."

"How do you know he doesn't want us to beat this imposter to a pulp? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want anyone tarnishing his rep." The big guy pulled away and grabbed Jet by the hair again, expecting to see distress or at least a little bit of pained tears. He was expecting begging but all he got was a steady stare, Jet wasn't wincing or snarling or anything, just staring at his abuser.

"Do it." Jet said evenly.

"Fucker…" The interrogator clenched his fist, "You mocking me?"

"I said, 'do it'." Jet said again, "Let's see how this ends."

The guy shouted and started beating into his captive, not letting up even when his partner tried to get his attention. "You little fuck! Stop staring at me like you're him! You're some imposter, you're not as strong so why aren't you breaking!?" He hollered loud enough that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching from behind him, or the sound of a cocked rifle until it was too late. He felt cold steel against his skull which shut him up long enough to hear the blue-eyed monster's voice.

"You're lower than dirt, you piece of shit." Castiel hissed before pulling the trigger in cold blood, the bullet going right through his target and barely missing Jet's own head.

"Jet!" Dean shouted and booked it to his friend's side, "Man, are you okay? Jet? Look at me," he tried to nudge Jet's face but his head only lolled to one side. Jet was unconscious, his face beaten and bloody along with the rest of his torso. His attacker hadn't quite focused on anything specific in a fit of rage, thankfully for Jet's sake. "Man…" Dean swallowed past a growing lump in his throat; he didn't know what to do. Cas healed quickly, he healed quickly, but Sam and Jet hadn't been injured yet. He had no idea how to fix this, the magic he'd learned didn't come with healing as far as he knew, it was all catered to the Void creatures.

"Untie him," Castiel looked at the terrified ex-slave menacingly, "or I'll shoot you too."

"Right away, sir." The smaller guy went and fumbled with the lock on Jet's wrists first, allowing Dean a better angle to hold him. "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him."

Dean glared at him at first but realized that this guy was just a kid, a teenager at the youngest. "It's… it's okay. He's pretty tough."

"Yeah, he's Jet." The guy replied sheepishly after unfastening the rope from Jet's ankles.

"Glad to know this isn't the Jet from this reality," Castiel shrugged and started toward the entrance, "Get him to medical, I'll come by to question you more later."

Sam nodded though he was pretty surprised they were granted so much freedom so easily. Wasn't that the same guy that had them at gunpoint the whole way back? Maybe this was his way of saying he was sorry their friend was brutally assaulted by his allies, Sam decided. He looked back over at Dean who was awkwardly lifting Jet up and trying to carry him. Dean quickly discovered that Jet was larger and much heavier than Castiel; he couldn't carry him the same way.

"Need help?" Sam asked sadly.

"Yeah…" Dean grunted and lowered Jet down again, "Gotta figure out how to carry him…"

"Here, hold him up for a second," Sam had Dean attempt the bridal style carrying again except this time he intercepted and pulled Jet onto his back. Sam adjusted the weight a little and propped Jet's legs up under his arms, holding tightly to his friend's thighs to keep him in one place. "Alright, got him, let's find this medical place."

"I'll lead you," The fearful ex-slave piped in again, "It's the least I could do."

"Thanks squirt," Dean smiled and ruffled the teen's hair, "What's your name?"

"Tom."

"I'm Dean, that's Sam."

"I know who you are, but you look a lot better than I saw you last time, or, I guess the other you." The youth blinked a few times looking Dean over. "It's nice to see you not ghoulified."

"_Ghoulified_?" Dean made a face at that, not sure how to feel about it.

"Yeah, like a ghoul, you know, all decayed and dead lookin'."

Sam snickered, "Gross."

"Careful though," The boy warned, "Don't insult him or Cas'll shoot you dead."

"Cas is sleeping with a zombie?" Dean wasn't sure how twisted his face could get but he was pushing his luck.

"Yep, he's got a reputation for being real mean with a soft spot only for Dean. I guess it fits though; blue-eyed monster falls in love with a man who turns into a ghoul. They're a good match."

"That's just sick and wrong." Dean shook his head, hoping to get those comments out before he earned himself a bullet to the brain. "So is Cas always like that?"

"Sure is," Tom nodded, showing them through the somewhat cleared streets. The place looked damn near livable, though it was still a total disaster. "Castiel is known as the fiercest raider in all the Capital Wasteland. Raiders are already known to have nasty tempers, so that's normal. He's always kinda been rough around the edges, Sam says that he means well but doesn't know how to show it properly."

"Sounds like a peach." Dean muttered.

"I think I should check the journal soon," Sam sighed strained to speak normally though Jet's weight wasn't exactly easy on him. "See what we're up against here so we can get out as soon as possible."

"Yeah, this place doesn't exactly scream friendly, does it?" Dean said as he looked around them, every possible weak spot was guarded by someone with a gun and even then there were places where heavy weaponry like cannons were placed. "What do you need all this stuff for?"

"Mutants, monsters, raiders, slavers, super mutants, you name it." Tom opened the door of their medical clinic, "Bring him in here, I'm sure someone'll look at him right away. Remember to stay here after too, Cas said he'd come looking for you and he might get mad if you aren't where he said to go."

"Got it, thanks kid." Dean smiled and gave the teen a wave before he ran off. As much as Dean wanted to try and keep his attention off the fact that he wasn't sure if his best friend was okay, he didn't much care for the alternative topic of young teenagers running around interrogating with brutes like that last guy.

"Oh my gosh! Jet! Is he okay?" The nurse hurried over, clearly mistaking their Jet for the other one.

"Don't know, can you help him?" Sam asked anxiously, following her to a room to lie him down.

Dean remained in the entrance, frowning and turning back to the outside; they hadn't gone to a world that was immediately dangerous like this. He hadn't seen troubles with the people; it was always with the monsters from the void. Seeing it now, though, he was a little more aware of why Castiel was so distrusting the first time they'd met. He'd been travelling alone, he had no one to come up and save him if he got caught in anything. _'Like that domus…'_ Dean thought dismally, unable to forget Castiel's own fears. He wasn't sure if it had ever settled in his mind, watching Sam die like that. It wasn't his Sam, but his Sam had been extremely sick for a period of time as well. That could just as easily have been his little brother that died.

But it wasn't. He reminded himself several times the thought came that Sam was alive and running around like everyone else. No, now wasn't the time to worry about Sam, though he really did want to. If something like this could happen to Jet it could happen to Sam. The first world they went to involved a Sam becoming Lucifer and being sealed away, if anyone had come across Sam alone that first time Dean wasn't sure his little brother would even be there anymore. So many circumstances and situations that could have turned out so differently if even the smallest thing had changed.

Dean hadn't considered how fickle and temperamental their lives could be, so easily brushed off with the slightest alteration. The other timeline that had been corrupted, he wondered if that happened because of one move that could have turned out differently? Maybe he'd stepped to the left and not the right and was hit by something that was meant to hit someone else or vice versa? What if he said something he shouldn't have or even ate something different? It was all so easily changed that he wasn't sure even having that journal would help them. In fact having the journal already altered everything so much that nothing it said anymore could really make a difference.

As much as he knew he was thinking too hard on the subject, he couldn't help it. Everything was so messy and giving him a headache that he really just wanted to take Castiel and lie down for a little while.

While Dean stood outside to get some fresh air and clear his head he noticed the raider Castiel approaching again, his cold gaze set on the medical building without seeing much else. At least, not until one of the young children in the area ran to him.

"Castle!" The little boy cried out, unable to say the raider's name or even run properly, his legs flailing forward faster as if he were running but he wasn't moving much quicker. He had a toy phone in his hand and was waving it as he 'ran'. "Castle, it's fo' yoo!"

Castiel stopped and looked down at the toddler, kneeling to reach him better, "Is it now?" He didn't smile as he took the phone though the child was beaming with joy. Castiel put the plastic toy to his ear and glanced toward it as he spoke, "Hello?"

Dean chuckled as he watched the scenario unfold, Castiel pretending to talk to some important higher up and then insisting that 'the president' wanted to speak to the little boy, an important mission for him. Once it was done Cas continued his trek to the steps of the building, about to pass Dean by when he spoke up, "No matter how big and bad you are, when a two year old hands you a toy phone, you answer it."

Cas smiled a little and went inside, "Shut up and get in here, Jet's on his way to talk to you as well."

Dean nodded, a little curious as to why the other Jet was important enough for Castiel to go and retrieve him. "He got something we need?"

"No, he's the leader of this place and I'd never hear the end of his bitching if I did this on my own." Cas sat down in the waiting room across from Sam, giving Dean the option to sit next to his brother or the easily angered raider. He chose his brother, of course, not too keen on playing with fire.

"Leader?" Sam smiled, "That's kind of cool, I always thought Jet could do something like that."

"You did?" Dean laughed, "I think we know a different Jet."

"He's different when he's with you, you guys are 'bros' or something." Sam shrugged and looked down at the floor, "He wasn't an idiot with me."

"You got a crush on him, Sam?" Dean joked, poking his little brother in the shoulder.

"No! Shut up, Dean." Sam pulled away and looked over to the medical doors, "I'm just worried about him."

"Uh huh, same way I'm 'just worried about Cas,' right?"

"It is nothing like that and you know it."

"Whatever."

"Shut up." Castiel growled.

"You got it, Castle." Dean grinned wildly when he earned himself a death glare from Cas.

"I'll kill you slowly."


	32. Fallout: In Jet's Head

_-"Baby, I get so scared inside and I don't really understand. Is it love that's on my mind or is it fantasy?"-_

* * *

**Fallout: Part 4**

"Heya, you're the ones claiming to be from another world?" The leader entered the medical building, not wasting any time as he did so. He gave a quick nod to Castiel; the raider stoically perched to watch the new comers.

"That's us," Dean stood and went to meet this alternate form of his best friend. It was so weird to see Jet this way, scars on his face, cold and calculating eyes, he was bigger physically and he was decked out to the nines with weapons. Seemed to be the norm for people in this world. "There's one other with us, he'll look like Cas here."

Jet raised an eyebrow at Dean, a small smile coming to his lips. "Alright… I've got absolutely no reason to trust you, you'll understand if we're a bit paranoid about this." He took a few steps around Dean, something about his expression spoke of nostalgia though no words were actually said.

"You _owe_ us something!" Sam snapped suddenly and Dean couldn't believe this was coming from his little brother. "Your goons tied and beat our friend!"

"Beating him wasn't part of the order but I imagine it was necessary?" Jet responded coolly, taking another look to Castiel for confirmation.

"I can't say how necessary it was at the end, the man was unconscious when we arrived though the monkey you told to watch him was still pounding him." Castiel's answer was even and directly to the point, not intending to make anything up.

"I'm surprised," Dean smiled at Cas, "I thought you'd try and make your leader look good in front of us."

"He's not _my_ leader," Castiel snarled at him, "He's an ally, I just happen to live here. It's convenient."

Jet chuckled, "Some people might say 'friend,' Cas. Hm?"

Castiel rolled his eyes and looked toward the door the nurse would come from.

"At any rate," Jet folded his arms over his chest and leaned back on his left foot, chewing thoughtfully on the inside of his cheek, "I hadn't thought my men would do that… the ones that did it, where are they?"

"I shot the one doing it, the other was one of the orphans from Little Lamplight, scrawny twerp couldn't do anything." Cas muttered.

"I see… Dean, right?"

"Yeah?" Dean was slightly ashamed at how quickly he responded to that.

Jet just smiled at him for it before his expression returned to 'leader-mode,' "Can you explain to me what you're doing here? Why the guy in that other room looks like me, and you two resemble my buddy and his little brother?"

Again, it was strange to hear it coming from someone who seemed so cold. Everyone in that world was like that; Dean made a mental note to hug his travelling companions when he got the chance to. "Okay, it's like this-"

"You can see him now," The nurse entered as she spoke, looking over at Sam specifically, the one who appeared most concerned. "We've done what we can."

"What does that mean?" Sam stood up, unsure of what to really do with himself, looking to Dean for some kind of answer.

"He hasn't woken up yet, but his injuries will heal."

"So he'll wake up eventually?"

"We hope so."

Sam wanted to argue but didn't have it in him. Instead he left the room, Dean right on his heels to see their friend.

The Union leader looked over at the raider, neither knowing what to say. They still needed proper answers though, so Jet followed them inside. He didn't say a word at first, watching the way the other two reacted instead.

Sam was biting his bottom lip and sitting at Jet's bedside, just looking at the beaten and unmoving form lying so limply. "It's… not right." He muttered.

"Sam," Dean put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "It'll be okay."

"No… I'll never un-see this." Sam looked at him angrily; his eyes wet and focused. "Jet's always been there and he's always been so strong. He's the one who gathered the money to pay for the hospital bills; he's the one who came to see me even though he didn't have to, and tried to make me laugh. He's the one who came to comfort me when you left to find Castiel even though I called at a ridiculous hour… Dean, Jet had no reason to come out here but he did because I refused to stay home. What if he doesn't wake up?"

"He will." Dean insisted strongly, his tone unchanging. "Jet's never let us down before, we still need him so he'll be here. He's just resting, okay? The guy went a few rounds with some asshole armed with a metal knuckle while he was chained down, give him a few hours to sleep it off."

Sam stared at him for a few seconds before nodding and looking away quickly. "Sorry… I… I wasn't expecting this. We've never had this happen to us because of the people before…"

"I know," Dean wished he hadn't realized the same thing. He still didn't know where Cas was and that was eating away at him.

"If he's anything like me I think he'll wake up." Jet spoke from the doorway, a half smile on his face.

Dean nodded, "Right, well I think we could at least explain to you what's going on."

* * *

_-"Heaven is in the palm of my hand and it's waiting here for you. What am I supposed to do with a childhood tragedy?"-_

* * *

Jet could hear them; he could hear every word and almost feel the light touch of Sam's hand resting on his. If he could just give his fingers a squeeze, reassure him that he was there, Jet would. But he couldn't move. He could hardly think straight and he found that more alarming than anything else. He'd been beaten senseless before, he knew what it felt like and how waking up was going to be. He'd never felt like he was floating in a limbo space like this, half awake and aware but unable to really focus.

He tried to speak but he couldn't move his mouth to form words. He did, however, manage to make the most pathetic sound with his vocal chords. Jet couldn't hear it right but judging from the way Sam's hand fluttered to his forehead, how it trembled there, he knew it was probably better not to make any noise at all.

'_How do I do this?'_ He struggled with himself, wanting to speak, wanting to think straight and wanting to move but nothing. Nothing until he realized he was separated from himself. He stepped away from his central senses; Jet realized he wasn't in control. He couldn't force himself to do anything because he wasn't actually there. Instead he watched from what felt like inside his own head, disconnected to his own motor functions.

'_What the actual fuck…'_ He thought as he looked around, the space was dark and reminiscent of the strange feeling he got when he looked into the Void from the mainline road. It was too similar to be anything else. He glanced around at the area around him, he couldn't see anything or hear anything, just the distant hints of the Winchesters in conscious-land. Just as he was starting to think he might be safe, he heard a low groaning echo from behind him.

'_OH! Son of a __**bitch!**__'_ Jet cursed when he felt the rumble that followed. _'You've got to be kidding me!? __**I'm**__ the freaking target this time? Fan-fucking-tastic…'_ He swallowed nervously and looked around, hoping to spot nothing and that this was the extent of the monster's ability. But when was his luck ever that good?

'_No big deal,_' He told himself, _'Dean and Cas'll take care of it and I'll be fine.' _But Cas was nowhere to be found and Dean and Sam thought he was just unconscious from getting his head smashed a few times. Jet's eyes widened when he realized it; _'They have no idea…'_ He looked back toward what he somehow knew was the source of his senses, what was hearing the Winchesters, feeling the gentle touch, and attempting to make noise. _'I have to tell them it's here. Fuck my life.'_

He went back to where he'd pulled away from the first time. He pushed his arms into the black, smokey space where they'd been embedded before. When he'd stepped back originally it was like walking away from a space fitted to his exact size, shape, every detail was spot on. He fit perfectly and it was where he was supposed to be, like whatever his subconscious was made of now had been carved out of his original mindset. He was supposed to be able to step right in and meld back into place, but he couldn't. He was trying to melt into himself and just take over, but _it_ really wasn't intent on letting him. Whatever 'it' was; Jet didn't have a mental version of Castiel to give him names and shit like that though he really wouldn't mind a high priest popping in to help out a little.

That was when he received the luxury of meeting the beast face to face. The dark gaseous state the space had originally been in had shifted, it was more of a liquid but completely impermeable and unyielding. Jet pushed against it a few times until it pushed back, something morphing out of the proverbial wall in front of him. It was entirely black with no real shape, beady golden eyes staring at him and through him with what he could imagine was a sinister little grin. Jet stepped back again, furrowing his brow and attempting to shake the feeling of fear that was slipping in. He hadn't been this close to one of the void monsters, other than when Sam was possessed and even then he didn't really see anything but Sam. He couldn't think of anything but saving his best friends so now, when it was all about him, he didn't know what to do. His heart raced and limbs started to stiffen.

Its face drifted back into the wall where it had been, vanishing away like there was no real rule as to where it could be. The thing wasn't in front of him; it was all around him. The space he was in was his own mind but it was encompassed and coated in this dark, malleable thing. Jet exhaled slowly to calm himself down though he hadn't realized he'd needed it. "Fuck." He cursed and ran his hands into his hair, looking around at the way everything shifted and moved.

* * *

_-"If I close my eyes forever, will it all remain unchanged?"-_

* * *

"You think he'll be okay?" Sam muttered again, running a hand over Jet's forehead and into his hair. He'd made such a strangled sound before, it was alarming and discomforting and Sam just wanted to see him open his eyes and say 'punching me doesn't keep me down' or something stupid like that.

Dean nodded, "Yeah, Sam. He's had the shit kicked out of him before, he'll be fine."

"Not like this he hasn't…" Sam frowned and rested his hand on the top of Jet's head, just leaving it there absently.

Dean wasn't sure what else to say, they were sitting and waiting for the other Castiel and Jet to finish discussing what they thought was going on. They'd mentioned that their Sam and Dean were further out so they'd take about a day to return, meaning that his Cas was probably with them. As much as Dean was worried about Jet he knew his friend could handle a few punches, even if they were weaponized. But was that really what he should be worried about? He knew that Castiel had been doing this for centuries on his own, and he was fine because he was a high priest, strong, capable, magical and incredibly smart. Jet was a normal guy, as tough as he was he was still a normal guy. _'I really should be more worried about you, shouldn't I?'_ He thought with a half smile at his friend's neutral expression. Somehow he still wasn't. Jet was the guy that always seemed to pull through even though everything said it was impossible. Granted he should have woken up by now, shouldn't he?

They sat together, quiet and waiting for something. The raider and Union leader had insisted that nothing 'extra' strange had been happening at their camp other than the arrival of body doubles. Dean could hear the movement of men around the grounds; everyone was geared up and ready just in case something _did_ happen. It was good to be prepared, he supposed. Post-apocalyptic craziness seemed to be a thing around there.

Castiel returned after a few hours, not even giving a sympathetic glance toward Jet he prodded Dean's side with his rifle, "Winchester," his eyes were as cold as ever and he vaguely reminded Dean of the first time he'd met his Cas. It'd been impossible to weasel under his hardened skin, Cas had been so cold toward him and angry and this guy was exactly the same. He was hurting; Dean realized it now after unraveling the mystery of his own Cas. Somewhere under all that rage this Castiel was struggling with himself and a lot of other things. But how could he not? Look at where he lived.

"Yeah?" Dean finally answered after receiving a stern glare, "What's up?"

"They sent someone to collect our wayward brothers, see if your priest is there with them. If he is we'll be asking him more about these void monsters, since you don't seem to know much."

"Good call, Cas has been at this a long time." Dean nodded and relaxed a bit, glad to hear that they'd be at least bringing his partner back to him.

In the following moments Dean couldn't really begin to explain what happened. Jet's body convulsed and he arched against the bed, his shoulders digging down and his head tilting back hard. He screamed as he slammed back down, arms lashing out suddenly and catching hold of Sam's shirt.

"Sam!" Dean thought he'd been hit but instead Jet had pulled himself up toward the younger Winchester.

Sam stared down at terrified eyes, he could tell Jet wanted to speak, to scream again or say something but somehow it wasn't working for him. "Jet?" Sam managed to croak out, "It's okay, you're safe." He didn't know what was happening or what he should say but if Jet was disoriented from the beating then he needed to know he was okay.

Jet shook his head and Sam could see the consciousness fleeting in his eyes, back and forth like a wave, like he was fighting so hard to stay awake.

Dean went to his friend's side and put a hand on his shoulder, "Jet, man, you're alright. Just get some sleep okay? You'll feel better when you wake up."

"No." Jet's voice was so soft and distant and he sounded more scared than Sam or Dean had ever heard. He tried to say something more but his body fell limp again, the word vanishing with his consciousness and hanging in the air.

"What… what was that?" Dean gasped out, turning Jet's head to lie flat, immediately trying to move him into a less twisted position and get him comfortable.

Sam was too surprised, Jet's fingers still hooked into his shirt and weighing him down slightly. "I… I don't know. What was he trying to say?"

"Help." Castiel replied so nonchalantly you might think he'd said something as simple as chocolate milk. "He was asking for help."

Dean snapped his gaze back to Jet's face, it looked so much less neutral now, the remnants of his terror still lingering there. "What's happening to you?"

* * *

_-"If I close my eyes forever, will it all remain the same?"-_


	33. Fallout: The Waiting Game

_-"Sometimes, it's hard to hold on, so hard to hold onto my dreams."-_

* * *

**Fallout: Part 5**

Jet pushed past his fear, past the screaming part of his brain that told him not to go near this thing. He needed to warn them, he needed to tell them that it wasn't safe. He had no idea what this thing was capable of, how easily it could reach out past his body and hurt the ones who would indefinitely sleep at his bedside. He cursed several times when it forced him back but on the fourth attempt he felt control again, he'd pulled the monster thin enough in that spot to be able to reach his motor functions again.

Everything was blurry and he could feel the monster scratching at his mind, pulling him and trying to drag him away. His back was turned to it so he couldn't see it but he felt the stabs of pain that shook him. He remembered screaming, or thinking he was screaming he couldn't really tell what was happening. But that didn't matter because he could see something other than black, the dimly lit room that must have been an infirmary. He tried to move and nothing reacted properly, he felt like a fish out of water. He could see Sam right next to him and tried to grab his shirt, something.

Jet got lucky; he managed enough function through the pain to pull himself to Sam. He tried immediately to speak but he felt the disconnection again, fazing in and out and disrupting him. He couldn't even bring himself to breathe properly, was this it? Was this all he could do? Jet strained to push again but the monster was starting to encase him, he could feel the space of his mind again like he was just pressed against a wall trying to get someone to hear him.

"It's okay, you're safe." Sam had said what he'd been scared to hear. They had absolutely no idea; they didn't know that everyone in that room might be in danger. He pushed again and tried to scream that Sam was wrong but it wasn't coming.

"_**NO!"**_ He hurt himself trying to shout as loud as he could but all that his body managed to do was look scared, Jet cried out in frustration against the dark substance trying to take over again. He shook his head and beat on the wall, tearing some of it away to get back in there. He could hear Dean talking now, trying to tell him to sleep or some bullshit. He wanted to say more, he needed to but he just couldn't through to them. "No…" He whimpered defeated as the creature's malleable body crept up around the sides of his head, "Help me."

* * *

_-"It isn't always what it seems when you're face to face with me"-_

* * *

Daylight came and went and all that Sam and Dean had to show for it were sore backs from sleeping on shitty furniture. Dean had seen several different people come and go, the infirmary saw more bloody patients than anyone else and he had to wonder why that was. He was told that there were land mines all over the place, especially on the roads and anyone who wandered out and didn't pay attention was attacked by mutants or raiders. Dean wanted to get out of that reality any time, he hated the thought of accidentally walking into something like that. He'd seen Castiel, that guy was considered a top raider and he looked like a tough little piece as it was. Vicious, angry, and the worst kind of person.

Jet hadn't woken up again and the other Jet came by every now and then if he wasn't busy. It was a long day and Dean was getting antsy. What if his Cas had stepped on a landmine? Were the people he was travelling with kind? Would they carry him back or leave him there to die? What if he hadn't even come across the other Sam and Dean or he had and they just shot him for not being the same Castiel? Dean was worrying himself sick and it really didn't help that Sam was looking just as awful while trying to figure out what was wrong with Jet.

"This isn't like him… Something's really wrong, Dean. Why would he have asked for help?"

"We don't know that's what he was going to say." Dean pointed out, "Calm down."

"But Cas said he was trying to say help." Sam insisted, looking over at Dean angrily. "You can't tell me that doesn't count for something?"

"He heard the same gasp we heard, he's just guessing. It doesn't mean Jet was asking for help and even if he was maybe he's just scared."

"Jet doesn't get scared." Sam looked back the guy he'd been nursing, trying to forget the fear he did see. He didn't want to believe that Jet was afraid.

"Even Jet gets scared, Sammy. Hell, especially him. Do you know how often he worried about us? About you? When you were sick he'd stop by all the time, whenever he had a chance he'd go up and see you. Most of the time you were sleeping so I doubt you remember."

Sam remembered, it had only been a year ago and really it was the saddest thing he could have tried to think of at that moment. He couldn't forget the times the door opened so quietly it was unnatural, or the heavier footsteps that were slowed to ease the sound they made on the floor. But mostly it was the hand on his forehead, checking his fever and brushing stray hairs away. Dean had always said something, he'd always let Sam know he was there, but Jet never did. He just walked in, checked on him silently and walked out. "That's worrying, fear is different."

"He was terrified that I'd lose you, that we'd both lose you. He was scared I'd lose myself or work myself to the ground. He was scared, Sam. Don't ever take that away from him or think he's some kind of machine because he's not."

Sam was quiet before nodding, "I know… I know who he is, Dean, I just don't want to think that he's scared right now. There's nothing I can do for him."

Dean watched his brother's face for a few seconds, not sure what to say so instead he nodded silently and fiddled with the unimagined stick of his weapon for a few moments. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"What?"

"How you feel about him." Dean shrugged and looked up at the complete shock on Sam's face. But that wasn't all he saw, there was some kind of dark form coming out of Jet and reaching up for Sam who had been staring at him instead of looking at Jet.

"Dean, I don't-" It grabbed Sam by the face and pulled back, his entire body jerking forward but not able to out match the strength of his assailant.

"SAMMY!" Dean lunged forward and caught his brother's hand but it made no difference other than saving his body from hitting the floor. He watched the strange form take something from Sam; something slipped away and turned off his eyes like a light. Life faded instantly and he crumpled onto the infirmary bed, his hand still in Dean's. "Sam? Sam!" Dean grabbed his brother's shoulders and shook him, gently at first then harder to try and snap him out of it. But there was nothing, no reaction, not even a muscle spasm. Sam wasn't there anymore.

Dean looked at Jet's still form and felt his mouth go dry; his friend was trying to warn them. Something was wrong and Jet wanted to tell him. "Fuck… CAS!" He stood and ran out of the room; leaving his brother and best friend in a state he had no idea how to help with. Knowing magic didn't mean he knew what he was supposed to with it, what was happening or any of that. It all came with experience and Dean didn't know even a quarter of the things that Cas did.

"What are you shouting about?" Castiel looked over when Dean stumbled out of the building, getting his attention but an immediate distressed expression to accompany it.

"Not you." Dean frowned and looked around, "Are they here? Is he with them?"

"They're not here so I don't know." Cas sighed; sounding entirely inconvenienced by what was happening which only pissed Dean off more.

"Listen," Dean snapped and stalked over to the raider until they were face to face, "I don't give a shit if you don't care what's happening to us but I would appreciate it if you didn't sound like we were ruining your life every time you speak."

"Oh? And what do you plan to do about it?" Cas steeled his eyes Dean's way and pushed against him right back, "I don't see a weapon in your hand."

"That's because you don't know what it is," Dean nudged Castiel's belly with the blunt stick he hadn't formed into anything yet, "I'm a dimension travelling high priest that's been all over different worlds and realities and have fought a number of monsters you've never heard of. You really wanna take the chance that I can't think a word that'll blow you apart?"

Castiel didn't move for the longest time, their eyes glaring holes into one another until he finally let up. "Dean's dog ran out an hour ago, he usually only does that when Dean's nearby so they should be here soon."

"Thank you." Dean stepped away and looked back at the medical building, "I found the void creature, it's in my friend."

Cas followed his gaze and shook his head; "I can't help you with that,"

"I know. I can't help either, I need my Cas." Dean liked the sound of that 'my Cas.' He wanted Castiel back, they'd had a moment, they'd been so close and he could almost bring himself to ask but Castiel said they'd talk about it later. He'd never been so afraid that a 'later' would never come. To walk into a new world and find a friend in such a bad condition, he hadn't been aware that they could be really hurt by anything other than the void. That somehow the laws of the world didn't apply to them anymore, when someone from a different reality aimed a gun at him it wouldn't matter. And maybe it didn't but it still mattered if Sam or Jet were injured.

And now they were both unconscious, locked down in some weird way that Dean couldn't fix.

"Well if he's with my Dean then they should be here in a few hours."

"Hours!?" Dean snapped back to look at Castiel who started away from him. "You said the dog ran off when they were nearby!"

"Dogmeat has a great nose, can sniff Dean out from miles and miles away. It means they're closer than we thought so be happy." Still sounding cold but a little less, maybe he cared to some extent.

Dean stared after the raider's retreating back for a few seconds before running his hands down his face in frustration. He had to just sit and wait, watch the unconscious forms of his brother and best friend and wait. "Lovely…" He groaned, "And who names their dog Dogmeat anyway!?"

* * *

_-"Like a dagger, you stick me in the heart, and taste the blood from my blade."-_

* * *

"Dean, something's approaching." Sam warned as they trekked through the dark, his eyes squinting slightly to see it better.

"I see him," Dean smiled and walked ahead, "And I know who it is, too. Hey there boy!" He called in that voice that made Castiel shudder. They'd travelled together for a day or so already and it was just so disturbing for him to hear. All the nightmares he'd ever had about it and now he was literally walking beside Dean as a corpse and somehow he was supposed to just be okay with it.

Cas would give himself a pat on the back; really, because he hadn't done anything he'd regret or get shot for. Another thing that was weird was seeing a dog run up to Dean and lick him, wag its tail and generally be excited about things. Definitely strange to see but Cas didn't really mention how odd. Instead he smiled like Sam and continued walking.

"You have a dog?" He asked as they passed Dean by.

"Yeah," Dean chuckled and pet the large husky before moving to catch up again. "Name's Dogmeat."

Dogmeat, on the other hand, went behind Cas and sniffed his backside, prodding him forward as he did so. Cas, startled, looked back at the overgrown puppy with some disturbance. "He… thinks I'm the other Castiel?"

"Probably," Dean smiled and whistled for Dogmeat to return to him. The dog did so quite obediently which surprised Castiel. He remembered his husband well enough, that guy could only take care of machines and was entirely useless when it came to animals. They never listened to him and when he honestly tried they actually seemed to outright reject him. But not this Dean, he found a little niche and a capability that the others didn't seem to discover.

"I have a theory," Castiel decided to say out loud, getting both Winchesters to look at him, "The Dean's I know have all bee overly macho men who grew up constantly taking care of someone, even in their older years when that someone didn't necessarily need it. Dean, did you take care of a lot of people growing up?"

"Yeah?"

"Alright, but when you were older did you still take care of someone?"

"No, I… I ran into Cas and he took care of me." Dean wasn't sure why he was admitting this to a stranger but it was a Castiel, and this Castiel seemed more open and kind so it couldn't have been that big of a mystery. "The world I grew up in was different than the outside, reality was a bit rougher than I was expecting."

"Well that explains the difference in personality," Castiel smiled a little at him, "You're a little more docile than the others I've met. I mean, you're very rough around the edges and a lot more vicious than any I've met but… it's hard to describe exactly. I can tell that someone took care of you."

"Even if he did a shit job?" Sam laughed, earning himself a glare from his brother.

"Yeah," Castiel nodded quickly, "Even if it was done poorly I can still see he had been cared for during an important time. I'm glad, really. I wish I could say I've done the same for my…" He trailed off as the questions started to flutter to his mind. 'My Dean' were the words he was about to use. Which one was he talking about? Which Dean was his Dean?

"I'm sure you're doing fine with yours," Sam nudged him reassuringly. "Don't get so down on yourself. Dean's easier to take care of than you think."

"Watch it, you two." Dean snarled. "We'll be back in an hour or so how about we make it a peaceful trip?"

"Talking about you being easy isn't peaceful?"

"Sam, I swear to god…"

Cas smiled and continued in silence. He felt strange, when travelling with the others he was the stoic angry one all the time. Look at him now, the one smiling quietly in the back, making some light hearted conversation like Jet might have tried. Or maybe pointing out little things about someone based on their behaviour like Sam always did. They were rubbing off on him more than he'd thought. And while that would have bothered him before it didn't now, just another testament to how much he'd changed.

He couldn't wait until he made it home to them.

* * *

_-"And when we sleep would you shelter me in your warm and darkened grave?"-_


	34. Fallout: Jet's Memories

**Author's note:**

**Thanks for reading guys, please remember to review for me ;)**

**Sorry for those who were expecting more Dean/Cas, I felt the opportunity was right to help the other two characters develop a little too. Hope no one minds. If you hate Jet just let me know and I'll try to focus on him less than I have.**

* * *

**Fallout: Part 6**

Everything was moving so fast he couldn't see a thing, Sam tried to sit up, tried to move his limbs, speak, anything but none of his functions seemed to be listening. On top of that he couldn't stop the feeling of motion, like he was being dragged through space by his ankles. Air was difficult to catch at the speeds he was moving, or maybe it was the fact that his body wasn't working right that he couldn't get a breath. Regardless of what it was it was making him panic, at least for a few seconds before it all suddenly stopped.

Sam gasped for what he assumed was air when he finally felt his mind wake, eyes flying open to see nothing but darkness all around. Last he remembered he was speaking with Dean and then Jet had- no it wasn't Jet. Sam looked around again, trying to focus and finding that it was more difficult than normal. It was kind of like being disconnected from himself, and really he didn't want to find out if that was true. He squinted and tried again, and again but everything was still dark and blurry. Strange and messy he started to move; walking in nearly any random direction his legs would carry him. Things were getting a bit easier as he went, focus came to him and soon he could walk a straight line again. None of that mattered though because his eyes still weren't working right.

Then he realized it wasn't his vision that made things so foggy, it just was. Something wasn't right, though things rarely were. "Jet?" He called out but heard nothing in return. "Jet! It's Sam, are you there? Hello?" At the mention of his name he felt something, there was a loud thump, like a heart beating suddenly but then it stopped again. The noise had been so loud, like he was standing inside of a drum when someone hit it. "JET! Answer me!"

And just then a sudden crash to his left caught his attention, he wanted to think it was in response to him but he couldn't really be certain, not until he investigated. Sam turned to look and saw a light in the near distance, there was movement wherever that light was and he had no intention of ignoring it. He booked it across the dark space, trying to not think about where he was or the strange sounds he'd been hearing since he arrived. "Jet?" Sam called out again as soon as he reached the lit area, his eyes widening when he saw he'd stumbled into a kitchen. It looked older, like it was something from almost 20 years ago. A family was sitting down to dinner, a very small dinner considering it was made for three people. The mother smiled crookedly at her son and passed the food to her husband, a pointed gesture that showed no love.

Sam felt his stomach twist and he wanted to walk away. He knew where he was; he knew what was happening he'd heard it before. Dean had once mentioned something about Jet a long time ago that Sam had chosen to forget.

The boy had his back turned to Sam but he didn't need to see the face to know the shaggy brown hair. "Jet?" Sam asked softly but he hadn't been heard by anyone in the room. The boy shifted a little, his hand coming to his stomach to try and stop the gurgling sound it made but the noise bothered his father.

"Quiet, boy!" He hollered and slurred enough to indicate how much he'd had to drink, if the bottle at his side hadn't been enough. Sam tried to move into the room to stop what he could only imagine was coming as the father shouted his ranting nothings into the kid's face. He took several steps forward before he realized that he wasn't getting any closer, the child and his family were the same distance away they had been a moment before. Sam furrowed his brow and tried to lurch forward to at least get the boy away but still nothing, "Come here! Get out of there, come here!" He shouted, trying to be louder the father but he could barely hear himself. "Jet! JET it's Sam!" The room pulsed with the mention of his name, again the sound of a heartbeat thundered overhead but no more than once.

His attempts did nothing, though. The scene played out as it was meant to. Sam cringed when the bottle crashed on the table next to the boy's empty plate. "You know the rules, we eat first!" The man screamed.

Instead of speaking the boy only nodded his head and hung it to try and show he was no threat, it wasn't a conscious decision but that was why he'd done it. Sam knew that too, he remembered Jet's words once when he'd asked about it.

"_Why do you always get into people's faces?"_

"_You mean why do I pick fights?"_

"_No, I mean literally, when something happens and you crank your head up. Is it a pride thing?"_

"_Sort of, I guess. I dunno, mostly it's to show them that I'm a threat. Like a warning, if they choose to mess with me I'm not going to just sit there."_

"_You really think like that?"_

"_All the time, kiddo."_

Sam had been sick at the time, during the first month or so he'd been in bed for a while and Dean had asked Jet to watch him. The exchange hadn't been all that important, Sam was just asking questions but now he couldn't seem to get it out of his head. It hurt to watch the boy try to shy away, try to hide in his own skin. It hurt more to know who the boy was.

"Jet." Sam covered his mouth as he realized he couldn't do anything. He wanted to look away as the man beat down on his child for what he could only imagine was a normal occurrence then. He wanted to cover his eyes from the sight, his ears to save himself from hearing the boy's screaming and crying, but he didn't. Instead he remained still and watched with the same horrified expression. "This isn't really happening…" He said quietly, "This is something else. It's just a memory. It's not real."

"It's real enough." The familiar voice sounded behind him and Sam spun to see the Jet he knew, arms folded over his chest and leaning against the doorframe.

Sam took a shaky breath as he let the other man's presence sink in. He was really standing there; whatever was happening in that kitchen didn't change the man that was standing right behind him. Sam quickly wiped his eyes and hurried to his side, "Jet! Are you okay?" He moved directly in front of Jet in a way that mostly blocked the view of the fading scene behind him, "What's happening?"

"Void thing, I'm guessing." Jet smiled at him, Sam's chosen position not a mystery to either of them though neither chose to openly address it. "Dean here with you?"

"No, that thing pulled me inside."

Jet's face grew a little pale and he dropped his arms uselessly, "Fuck… I'm sorry, Sam. I tried to-"

"We didn't hear a lot of what you tried to say," Sam tried to hush him before he could get anywhere close to sorry for himself. "It's not your fault. What matters though is that Dean did see me go, so he'll be here any time now."

"Where's Cas?"

"We don't know. We're assuming he's just further out and is taking a while to get here, or so the other Castiel said. And also, if it makes you feel any better, that Cas shot the guy beating you up."

Jet scoffed out a bit of a laugh, looking away a little embarrassed. "You saw that, huh?"

Sam nodded, smiling at him, "Kind of a cheap way to do it, too. Tie you up so you can't hit back? I mean it's not really losing-"

"Who said anything about losing? I didn't lose anything!" Jet was immediately defensive but in a joking way, mostly.

"Come on, let's see if we can find a way out." Sam tried to keep it light hearted though he could tell by Jet's following expression that it wasn't going to be that easy.

"I don't think we'll have to…" Jet's response was softly spoken and even a little shaky. Sam was about to ask what he meant when he realized that the darkness floating around them was starting to close in.

"Is… is this stuff sentient?" He managed to ask as he watched it take shape around Jet's right leg and arm. It was creeping its way up his body and Sam didn't know what he was thinking but he grabbed onto Jet's left arm and held it tightly. "Jet, can you shake it off?"

Jet was hesitant to attempt it but he did all the same, which he found out was as bad an idea as he'd thought when the darkness around him started to pull. "What the fuck!?" His first reaction was cursing but fear jumped in next when that beady-eyed face emerged near to his.

Sam held tighter and pulled back, his heart starting to beat erratically. He had no idea what that face was, what the monster was or how to do anything about it. All he knew was that he was not letting go of Jet. "Don't let it take you!" He growled out as he strained against the opposing force. It was starting to tug periodically but harsh, making a little progress with each random pull. Sam grit his teeth as he tried to drag Jet further away in the opposite direction but he wasn't making any kind of ground. He looked up to see that Jet was literally just standing there, staring into the thing's face as it loomed in closer to his. Sam could see the panic in Jet's eyes and felt it in his limbs as he tried to yank him backward; it wasn't comforting in any sort of way. "JET! Come on! Jet look at me!" His friend didn't reply, move, or anything of the kind. _'Is he paralyzed? Hypnotized? What's going on?'_

The creature looked Sam's way for a second, as if saying 'you're helpless,' right before it truly started to take Jet with it. And in the following few seconds Sam couldn't discern exactly how fast they were moving but it felt faster than when he'd ever ridden in the Impala.

Jet squeaked out another panicked sound and Sam wished he could do something more than cling for dear life but that's all either of them were able to do. Jet jerkily tried to pull away from the monster hauling him through what Sam assumed were corridors of his mind, "Sam…" he groaned out the name as if it physically hurt to do so. "I… can't…"

"I've got you," Sam tried to reassure him but Jet shook his head.

"Let go."

"Not a chance in hell."

The movement slowed down and Sam started to see different things pass them by, little bits and pieces of Jet's life just open to be viewed. It was so strange to see his friend so young, Sam remembered Jet as being so much older, mostly because Jet was Dean's friend. Being four years his senior probably had something to do with it, but still, Jet always seemed old to him. And yet all he could see now was a kid, a scrappy, loud-mouthed, under appreciated kid. But of course that kid grew up with each scene they witnessed, picking fights on the playground, picking a fight with Dean, playing with Dean, going through school with Dean, visiting Dean and finally meeting Sam. The moment he saw his face there was that strange sound again, this time muffled and distant.

"Are you seeing all this?" Sam asked softly, still clinging to Jet's side as they travelled across his mind.

"Yeah… scaring the shit out of me." Jet answered, his voice much less pained this time.

"Is that thing hurting you?"

The amount of silence that followed told Sam the truth but he knew the answer Jet would always give, "Nah, it's ok."

The speed they were moving at was more comfortable now, though still pretty fast. He wondered where they were in Jet's head, or if it was so much his head as it was his mind, or his soul. And yet as much as all of that seemed to matter, none of it really did. He had no control over it. Sam crawled a little higher on Jet and wrapped his arms around the other's torso, it was a better hold and he was less likely to take off one of Jet's limbs by accident. The silence was starting to get to him as the scenes faded in and out of view. "What's scaring you?"

"Doesn't your life flash before your eyes before you die?" Jet answered more easily than Sam thought, and even though it was a question to his question, it was also an answer.

"Yeah, they say that happens… But I'm seeing it too, I think it's something else." Sam tried to sound reassuring and the only way he knew that Jet knew it too was the way Jet held onto him. Jet hadn't tried to hold onto him because he didn't want to drag Sam down with him, but now his arm was wrapped around Sam's upper body, hand digging into his side a little. It was probably more comforting than a real response could have been.

But he had been wrong before.

"Thank you." Jet closed his eyes and whispered.

Sam smiled, though a little sadly, "I do what I can."

"You always have."

It was the strangest exchange the two of them could remember ever having. They'd had moments where something important happened between them, but most of the time it was something that one of them hadn't been aware the other knew about. Like the times Sam had pretended to stay asleep when Jet visited, but Jet never knew that. Now they were both aware of it, that something meaningful had been shared, and neither knew what to do with that information, or if they were supposed to do anything at all.

And while most people would remain quiet about it and never really bring it up, Sam couldn't help but push his luck. "I can hear your heart beating."

"Weird, this isn't really my body." Jet muttered, his usual attempt at trying to cheapen a moment with a joke.

Sam smiled, glad that no matter what was happening, whether they were about to be dragged to their deaths or something more emotional, Jet was still Jet. "No, I mean every time my name is mentioned or my face shows up in your memories."

He was expecting a sarcastic remark, another joke, anything really. But instead there was silence for a long time as the memories faded with the last one.

"_Dean's too much of a mutton-head for it to go that smoothly."_ Jet's voice had echoed as the image faded, the very last thing was the sound of Sam's laughter.

"_Yeah, probably."_

Jet smiled a little, this time hearing what Sam was talking about. The heart beat echoing around them every now and then had gotten louder with each scene that passed and now it was almost like a crash of thunder. "Yeah, I hear it too."

Sam furrowed his brow and looked up at Jet but didn't get a return glance; the older male's eyes were still closed. He wanted to say something about it but the creature holding onto Jet made a loud and frightening cackling kind of sound. Their pace halted abruptly for a brief moment before they were hurdled toward a room ahead.

Jet immediately pinched Sam's side as hard as he could, "Ow!" Sam yelped out first, flinching inward and loosening his grip in the process. He realized far too late that Jet had done it on purpose. Sam was thrown off at a side angle, hitting the edge of the wall before the next room opened up and tumbling to the ground there. Jet on the other hand was flung the rest of the way in.

"Jet!" Sam could hear himself screaming before he even realized why he had. The hall opened into a giant chasm of a room, the dark substance swirling in a thick mass of a whirlpool in the center. Sam could see other ledges from other parts of Jet's mind far across from his own. They were so distant from they looked tiny, the doorways looked to be about two inches tall from his position though he knew they were as big as the one he was standing in. The walls were covered in the black mass, moving and shifting with that beady-eyed face fazing in and out all over the place.

The size of the room didn't scare him, the monster floating around wasn't as big of a deal, it was the fact that Jet was somewhere in the middle that made him call out his name. "Jet! _Jet!_" The movement and rushing of matter all around the room made it so loud that he wasn't sure his voice was making it far enough for Jet to ever hear him, even if he was okay somehow.

Then he heard it; "Sam!" Jet sounded like he was close.

"Jet? Jet where are you?" Sam hurried to the edge and looked down, seeing the steep slope of the wall below leading to the whirlpool. At first he didn't see anything but as another wave of black substance ebbed and dwindled he could see Jet trying to climb up the bank. The flow of the thick crud was clearly slowing him down and making it more difficult, but Jet wasn't gone.

"I see you! I'm gonna come get you!" He called out as he started to climb down from the ledge.

"NO! Stay there!" Jet demanded before he got another face full of the vile fluid, again he vanished to Sam's gaze as it poured over his body and covered him entirely. It was so much that Sam was worried it'd wash him away, but it didn't. Jet coughed and spat a little as he continued toward him, "I'm going to try and get to you, you wait there until Dean comes!"

"Jet, no I-"

"SAM! For the love of god just listen to me!" That was the first time Sam had truly heard anger in Jet's voice and it was enough to make him listen.

"As soon as he gets here I'm getting you out of there."

"Fine, just wait for Dean." Jet spat again and continued to struggle along, knowing full well he'd have to continue to shout at Sam the whole time to make sure the idiot wouldn't just dive in.

Sam chewed on the inside of his cheek as he watched, his heart beating rapidly and his arms feeling useless at his sides. He'd only been able to watch as the boy at that kitchen table was beaten, and now he was being forced to stand there while he watched one of his best friends struggle to safety. Everything in him screamed at him to do something, so he did. "I'll see if I can find something to pull you in!" He shouted before turning to run back down the corridor behind him.

"SAM! Goddamn it!"

* * *

**THE UGLY DUCKLING FANS**

**I have been making the Ugly Duckling fic into a comic. There are 3 pages done and you can find them on my deviantART/tumblr (link in my profile) so please take a look see and let me know what you think! Okay I'm done promoting myself now ;)**


	35. Fallout: Anima

**Author's Note:**

**Wow! Thanks guys :D For those of you who don't already know I drew/painted Jet in photoshop and posted it on my deviantART and tumblr. Link to his direct picture is in my profile in the characters I draw for fics section. All who want to know what he looks like, now you can figure it out ;)**

* * *

**Fallout: Part 7**

Dean, Sam, and Castiel strolled up to the encampment; it was dark with the sun barely rising in the distance. Cas covered his mouth as a yawn crept up through his throat, he was tired and exhausted from walking forever but he was trying to keep that part to himself. Dean glanced back his way and chuckled a little, "It's still too weird to see you like this."

"What do you mean?" Cas was taken aback by the comment, it was more his line to say about Dean than Dean to him considering one of them was sort of undead.

"I see him up ahead there, you'll see in a second." Dean's pace quickened, Dogmeat right on his heels. "Cas!" He called out and watched his partner's arm lift to wave.

"What to you so fucking long?" Castiel was quick to scowl, his tone vicious. "There's been an emergency on this end and you're just wandering in like nothing's happening."

"I love you too," Dean smirked as he walked directly up to the other, and for a moment the priest thought that this other Castiel was going to do something crazy. He wasn't sure why but the look of his opposing self was so much different than his own it was almost scary. He looked violent, rough around the edges, and a bit like a terrorizer. But instead the raider relaxed his shoulders and made a face, though very subtle, that Cas would never mistake. It was the expression he usually made for family and loved ones, the ones he cared for most and despite being angry or whatever he was feeling toward them that expression would always seep through in some way. It was a bit comforting to know some of his personality was present in this one too, though at the same time it meant that he was also capable of such a frightening persona.

"You're late." Raider Cas said again as they hugged, resting his head against Dean's for a longer period of time than the priest thought he would have. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, just ran into another you out there." Dean nuzzled his Castiel's cheek, "What emergency?"

"We got another you, another Sam, and another Jet in here. The emergency is with them actually," the raider looked over at his counterpart, "They need you."

Castiel bristled and stiffened at once, "Where are they? What happened?"

Instead of telling however, the other Castiel led them to the medical building where Dean had been sitting with his unconscious family. He looked up and his face brightened at the sight of his partner, "Cas! Cas you're okay!" He didn't know he'd feel so relieved, he didn't know how scared he'd been until he saw Cas again. Dean pulled him into a hug immediately, holding tightly and refusing to let go even when Cas tugged backward a little.

"Dean, we need to-"

"Just… give me this, okay? Please, just let me…"

Castiel stopped and dropped his head against Dean's shoulder like he'd seen the other him do. It was a relief to see his partner, he was very glad that Dean was alive but that didn't mean he wasn't worried about Sam and Jet. The two were unconscious and he had a few theories on what it could be. Some were more pressing with time and he just hoped he wasn't too late already. "Dean… I'm sorry I worried you." He spoke softly, running his hand up and down Dean's back soothingly, "But right now we need to save your brothers."

"You know Jet's not my brother," Dean stepped back, leaving room for Cas to approach and inspect the situation.

"And you know that he is." Castiel said as he passed, going to Jet's side first. From what he could tell Jet was the one in need of help and therefore more likely to be the victim of whatever void monster they were dealing with. "What happened to Sam?"

"Some black thing came out of Jet and sucked something out of Sam." Dean furrowed his brow and shook his head, "I couldn't… I couldn't do anything. Even with this magic it doesn't matter, I don't know what to do with it."

"It's okay, Dean. The magic comes with time, I'm glad you didn't try to do anything with this anyway. From what I understand, this thing requires a more delicate hand than you're capable of."

"What is it?"

Cas curled his bottom lip in to bite it gently as he thought, a number of names running through his mind but only one he knew of would do what Dean had described. "Anima."

Dean furrowed his brow and looked to his brother as Cas quickly stepped around him. "What does it do?"

"I'm assuming you didn't look at Sam's journal, hm?" the priest replied without so much as a glance at his partner, who all but sulked about the question.

"Well… no, not really. I dunno, I didn't think of it. I was panicking, okay? Sam was fine and then he wasn't and I didn't know where you were-"

"Calm down," Cas spoke softly, "We can fix this, an anima is a spirit type monster that seeps into the mind of someone's who been injured cranially and is rendered unconscious. It nests there, disconnects them from their body and traps them in their own head."

"That's what happened to Jet?"

"Yes. The anima feeds on memory and emotion, during the process the victim will see the memories as they pass and sometimes feel the emotions. The anima has been known to come face to face with its host, if it does that person is often frozen for a period of time as the anima feeds off their direct feeling of fear. There are different types of anima, some of them like to take their time and others prefer to hurry through their meal. If the host is difficult to deal with it will bring in the nearest person to use as a puppet to distract the host, which is why I believe Sam was taken in. From what I know Jet isn't the easiest of people to manipulate."

"So it's trying to use Sam to trip Jet up?" Dean almost wanted to laugh at that. He watched as Castiel started to lift Sam out of his chair and move him to Jet's bed. "And what are you doing that for?"

"I'm assuming that Sam's just as hard to control, so I doubt that's an issue. And I'm trying to get as much contact between them as possible. After we diffuse the anima it'll very suddenly let go of the extra victim, at that point the consciousness of the other person will go to the nearest body. We have a much greater chance of getting Sam back after if he's in as much contact with Jet as possible." Cas grunted a little as he struggled to angle Sam right; the deadweight was difficult to maneuver and was starting to piss him off.

Dean walked over and helped angle his brother to be a little more comfortable for both Sam and Jet. "How long until this anima is done feeding, and what happens?"

"I don't know how long, each anima is different as I said," Cas placed a hand on Jet's forehead, a pale light flickering where their skin touched. "But when it is finished it drains the consciousness entirely. The host is emptied and left as a shell, some wake up; others fall into comas for the rest of eternity. The ones that wake are nothing more than mindless bodies, their conscience is gone, their spirit, emotions, memories, all of what makes them human."

Dean felt panic arch through again, the thought of his brother winding up in a coma from this or worse, a zombie taking its course. "What can we do?"

"Well now that I have a second priest with me we can go inside. Place two fingers his temple and your thumb over his forehead like mine."

Obediently Dean listened, Jet's forehead felt cold and a little clammy to touch. It was a little scary but he knew that Castiel had a handle on the situation; he was so calm and collected that it didn't seem to bother him at all. He had to make a mental not to ask Cas how he'd known what to do in that situation. There had been so many times where Cas just knew what to do with his magic while Dean fumbled around helplessly with his own.

And while it seemed important to ask he knew that they didn't have the time just then. The same light that glimmered beneath Castiel's palm appeared under his own, he could feel the energy in his arm and it was electrifying. The same magic he didn't know what to do with just activated on its own, like his mind knew what it was supposed to do without him consciously aware of it.

Just as easily as it had started it ended. Among all the new sensations and feelings he suddenly felt nothing, like he'd been completely disconnected from himself. His entire body tingled on and off like a wave, at the same time it felt like gravity was looping around him and increasing in force. He didn't like it at all; it confused him as to which way was up and with his eyes closed he really didn't have a clue. It wasn't new but it wasn't something he was aware he'd ever experienced if he had. It was a mixture of everything that he knew was comfortable and everything that made him anxious, like his body wasn't used to breathing.

"Cas?" He called out, his voice distant to him. He could barely hear anything and when he realized that his eyes were in fact open but he couldn't see either he started to feel claustrophobic. But it all stopped. Everything halted and he found himself standing in a corridor with a light shining at the end. "What the hell was that?!"

"The transfer, we're now inside Jet's head. As priests we are physically present here so be careful." Castiel strode forward somewhat cautiously, heading straight for the light. He glanced around them as if expecting something to come out at them.

"Cas where are you going? Do you know where they are?" Dean hurried after his partner's footsteps, worry only rising inside him. He still didn't know where Sam or Jet had gone or if they'd even find them. Constantly concerned for his brother's safety wasn't exactly a relaxing pastime.

"The anima sucks everything to the center of its host's mind, where the connection of the host's humanity to their spirit lives. In the center is where it starts the draining process, and by the looks of these walls it has already started." As Cas spoke Dean realized that everything around them was moving, even the ground below, all toward the light. "Therefore I'm heading toward the center along with the rest of it."

If the strange substance around them was already moving to the center it meant that Jet was already being drained, that Jet's and Sam's spirits were about to be or already had been devoured. Dean pushed past Cas to run to the center, he didn't need to really say why he was going and if Castiel's silence had been anything to go by, his partner knew the reason as well. Not that Cas didn't have his objections to Dean running into unknown territory, but he knew to keep them to himself.

The light beyond the corridor signified Dean was close to the end and though he thought he was prepared for anything he quickly realized that what he was seeing didn't quite count. The doorway opened to the deepest part of Jet's self and it was enormous, at least as big as a football stadium. He was standing on a ledge just like several all around the perimeter, all barely safe from the rushing ooze that drained toward the center. A center that looked like it was hundreds of yards down from where he stood. It sounded like he was standing next to a waterfall, the room was extremely loud and on top of that it made him feel entirely too small.

Dean didn't know where to look first; the room was too big to see something as small as another person on the other side. "SAM!" He screamed as loud as he could and to his immediate relief he heard a response.

"Dean!"

"There," Castiel was at his side already and pointing to their right, one ledge away Sam was standing with his arms entirely wrapped up in a rope that was pulled tight off the other side of his outcropping.

"What are you doing?" Dean motioned to the rope without much use for words at that moment, he was so relieved and still terrified because Sam wasn't safe yet. "You'll fall in!"

"That's what I keep saying!" Jet's voice called out from past Sam, filling Dean in on a detail or two of the situation.

"Shit…" Cas took a step or two back, angling properly as he judged the distance between their ledges. "We'll need to jump over to them, the anima knows we're here and it'll speed up the process very soon."

Moments after he'd spoken the dark substance started rushing to the middle faster and faster, swirling and crashing together. Sam had just taken Jet's hand but the current ripped them away from the safety of his platform. A sharp cry escaped Sam's mouth when he felt airborne for a few seconds before he felt the thick fluid all around him. Luckily for him Dean and Castiel had already made the leap, Dean catching hold of Sam's ankle while Cas already had a firm grip on the back of Dean's coat.

The trail of men jerked to a stop as Castiel ground his feet and braced himself, holding onto Dean as tightly as he could. The force of the current mixed with the weight of the three he was holding up meant that Cas had needed every ounce of strength he had to keep them in one place. He grit his teeth and started to pull them in, the only one with his feet still on solid ground.

Jet coughed out the ooze that managed to get into his mouth and looked up to see Sam's scrunched face. His jaw was clenched and eyes squeezed shut as he concentrated past the pain and stress that he was being bombarded with. "Just let go, Sam!" Jet shouted for what Dean knew must've been the hundredth time.

"You know I won't!" Sam glared back at him, "So stop telling me to!"

"Goddamn it." Jet laughed and shook his head, "You're seriously going to make me a murderer, aren't you?"

"How did he even get you to grab the rope with that attitude?" Dean called down to his best friend with a bit of a chuckle.

"Said he'd jump in himself if I didn't grab it."

"Sounds like Sam."

"Would you guys at least shut up!?" Cas growled down at them just before the anima's beady-eyed face formed out of the substance beside their ledge and lunged at Castiel. The priest snapped a hand up just in time to catch the thing's face, holding it at bay for a second. He could feel Dean and the other's slipping, his legs barely holding out against the strain. Cas looked at the shrieking thing and squeezed a little as his palm started to flicker again, keeping it from disappearing on him.

Dean looked back to see Castiel glowing again, his eyes lit up and that same magically energy flowed around him like controlled air. It sparked every now and then as he started to chant something Dean kind of understood. It was a banishing spell, or a seal of some kind. Whatever it was Cas knew it by heart and it was starting to affect the entire room. "Hold on Sammy! It's gonna get rough."

"This isn't bad enough!?" Sam cried, trying to hold onto Jet. He was scared, scared because it was too easy to lose him. If Jet wanted to he could just let go and there'd be nothing Sam could do about it. "Promise me," He squeezed Jet's hand and caught the other man's attention. "Promise you won't give up."

Jet stared at him for a moment before letting one hand go and reaching a little higher to get a better hold for himself, "I promise, I said I'd keep you safe didn't I?" He smiled a little and despite the fact that the room was starting to shake more violently than any amusement park ride Sam had ever been on, Sam felt so much better.

Castiel's body tensed for a second before he let go of Dean entirely, both hands forcing the face he held into a disconnected shape from the rest of its mass. He spoke so quickly and his hands moved in such a way that the light trailed behind, making something in its wake. The room shook and spun on its own as everything that the anima had destroyed reformed itself, a light flashed through the area several times, each time getting brighter and brighter until it never stopped.

Jet pulled hard on Sam to bring them closer together and wrapped his arms around the other. He had no idea what was going on but protecting Sam had been his goal originally and it hadn't ever stopped. He remembered Castiel's words the first time, _'If you all die don't come crying to me… Right, but if Sam does and you don't I don't want to hear about it.'_ "Not giving up on you." He grit his teeth and held on for all he was worth, despite the torrential force trying to tear them all apart.

Dean held tight to his brother's leg though that was all he'd managed to get a hold of, he looked back as the light consumed the room, seeing that it was all originating from Castiel who hadn't stopped floating but had arched back further than was normal with the anima still clenched in his hand. His body looked so stiff and tense it couldn't have been natural. "CAS!" He could hear himself shouting above the sound of the shrieking and the rumbling but it still wasn't loud enough.

The flash ended and everything once again came to a sudden halt. Dean stumbled to the ground, his eyes wide as his body shook from the vast difference of pressure. "Cas!" He choked out the name as he spun around, seeing Castiel's form laid out on the floor. "CAS! Fuck, what keeps happening to you!?"

"I'm okay," Castiel groaned as Dean scrambled to prop him up, "I'm alright."

"What was that? Your magic almost always knocks you out."

Cas looked up at him like he was ready to answer but instead he fell limp again. Dean cursed under his breath and lifted him up to put on an empty bed nearby. Cas often had to rest after big magical blowouts like that, where he completely obliterated the monster they were dealing with all on his own. It wasn't new, Dean reminded himself as he went to check on Sam, remembering the possibility of Sam not making it back to his own body.

However he was met by a smile, Sam was laughing softly against Jet before he started to push himself up. "We almost died."

"Yeah, you find that funny?" Jet raised an eyebrow at him, still wincing at the pain from his previous beating.

"A little. You're more dramatic than you let on- whoa!" Sam flailed a little as Jet shoved him off entirely

"Shut up!"

"You're alright," Dean sighed, relieved over all. "Thank god…"

"Is Cas okay?" Sam asked as he stood, looking over at the other bed.

"Just resting."

"This happens to him a lot, huh?" Jet nudged Sam's shoulder, "Check the book now, see if there's anything in there on this kind of thing."

"You know I barely got it a few days ago, I have no idea where to start."

"Anywhere. Start anywhere."


	36. His Perdition

**Author's Note: **

**VioletIsInPain - you really made me laugh with that one. Evil laugh right back at you my friend ;)**

**And again thanks for reading guys, something a lot of you have been waiting for happens in this chapter :D **

* * *

"_Look at me."_

_Castiel shuddered, his eyes were closed again and he could hear the sweet voice beside him. _

"_Cas. What are you doing? He isn't me. Why are you doing this? Look at me, Cas."_

"_No." Castiel choked out the word with a bitter sound, he could feel the tears burning behind his eyes and he didn't want them. "I don't know what you're talking about."_

"_You're in love with another man?"_

"_You're dead."_

"_You love someone who isn't me?"_

_Cas rolled over and shoved him backward, opening his eyes enough to see the pale and lifeless face his nightmares loved to show him. "Get away from me. You aren't the memory of him that I wanted to keep."_

"_You'd love anyone that looks like me, wouldn't you? You whore."_

"_Shut up!"_

"_Cheater. Unfaithful liar! They're all going to leave you. They're all going to die. You're going to kill them." _

"_I said__** SHUT UP!**__" Cas shrieked as energy boiled up in him and blasted out from his hands, sending the corpse of his husband flying. There was nothing left but a mark on the wall. Cas sobbed and writhed on the bed, curling in on himself._

"Cas!"

_That voice again. He could still hear Dean's voice._

"Cas! _Cas!_ CAS!"

_On repeat like an alarm. "Stop it! Leave me alone!" Cas cried and thrashed out at what felt like arms on his shoulders, shaking him. "Stop it!"_

"Cas it's me, wake up!"

_Wake up? Castiel opened his eyes again and looked up, seeing the corpse again looming over him, a hand on his arm and leaning down. Cas felt frozen for a few seconds as the hands wrapped around his neck again, that familiar pressure of dying. He screamed and screamed until his airway was blocked, arms flying up, about to incinerate him again when he heard a voice he wasn't used to hearing in this place anymore._

"Cas! That's enough, calm down!"

_Sam. And then another hand pulled him away and down to the bed, an entirely different person than the Winchesters. _

"C'mon man, you got this. Just cool it."

_Jet. Jet wasn't supposed to be there. Cas struggled but soon relaxed into the bed, the mattress was so hard and uncomfortable and the vision of his husband altered to a living man with worried green eyes. _

"Dean?" He rasped out the name as tears slipped from his eyes and tickled their way down to his ears. "I… I…" he didn't have words to say, instead he let it all unravel again. Despite having let it out before he always had more to release. The pain piled on him like a mountain of rubble just crushing him until he could find a way to stop it. "It never stopped hurting, waking up alone, cold and distant." Cas babbled out the words as his friends closed in, dropping their holds on him. Dean immediately propped him up in his arms and held on, cradling his partner close to him. Cas sobbed into his shoulder, trying to curl in on himself further. "It never stopped hurting, I'm so tired."

"Shhh," Dean pet through Castiel's hair gently, not making any sudden movements or asking any stupid questions for the moment. "Try to relax, Cas. You're okay now, you're safe."

"It hurts." Cas whined, ignoring Dean's words or possibly not even hearing them. "It hurts to think, it hurts to move. I'm so scared, Dean."

"What's scaring you?" Dean wished the heartbroken sound of Castiel's voice didn't make him feel that way but it did. He was angry that he didn't know what was causing it, that he couldn't do anything about it.

"This… whole thing. Everything that's happening. I thought I knew how it all worked, I thought it was so simple and easy to keep going to different worlds but it isn't. It _isn't_. I don't hear the celestials anymore; they should be back by now. I don't know what they are, how much of this is real or how much is twisted in a timeline. I thought I knew it but I don't know anything. I'm so helpless!" Castiel's hand grasped at Dean's shirt, pulling at it.

"We all are, Cas." Sam tried to be calm as well, wondering where the hell this had all come from. "There's no reason to panic."

"That's entirely why we should be panicking, Sam! These stupid holy beings can get into our heads and control us from wherever they are. They activate magic inside us that shouldn't be possible, that we shouldn't be able to do. As soon as they touch our minds we can use magic, Dean… Dean you can't do it that well, can you?" Cas looked up at Dean again, his eyes wide and frantic.

"No… but Cas you just woke up, you're really out of it. Try to calm down." Dean partially wished Cas would just go back to sleep, he was babbling and crying and jumping between emotions too fast to be good for him.

"You can't feel it like I can, you can't do the things I do. I don't know how I know what I'm doing, I don't know what the spells are that come out of me. They hurt me." The tears still dripped down his face as he looked directly into Dean's eyes, "It hurts me in ways I didn't know I could feel pain. Ever since we started running into other versions of ourselves, ever since we met I can't… I can't control it like I used to. It burns. Everything. Everything hurts, Dean. It hurts. _It hurts_. I want it to be over. I'm so tired. I wanna go home. It hurts."

"Cas!" Dean grabbed his shoulders and shook him a little, "Calm down, just stop okay?"

Castiel's lower lip quivered as he nodded his head, just nodding and then shaking it, bringing his hands to his face trying to wipe the tears away. "They won't stop…" he whispered, "I can't… Dean I'm scared. Don't go. Please. Don't leave me, don't go. I can't stop crying."

Dean cradled Cas again, holding as tightly as he could, "I'm not going to leave you, not ever."

Castiel sobbed violently into his chest for a few moments before passing out again, dropping limp in his arms. Dean stared down at him for a second before looking up at Sam and Jet who were as shocked as he was.

"Okay, I think he needs to stop with the magic for a while." Jet pointed vaguely in Cas' direction. "It really messes with him."

"I'm kind of worried…" Sam reached over and pet Castiel's hair a little. "He's usually so pulled together, whatever nightmare that was it didn't make anything any better."

"Cas has had a rough time," Dean said softly, "But I think we should give him a break. Don't bug him about this; don't ask him unless he wants to talk about it. Just show him we're here, alright? He's really stressed out and that kind of magic puts a huge strain on him."

"He said you can't do it like he can, that true?" Jet raised an eyebrow, wincing a bit because his face still kind of hurt.

"He and I don't have the same skill sets, we're similar but each one of us has better qualities in one thing than the other and so on. Cas is more magical than I am in most cases, except I can exorcise demoni where he can't. It's stuff like that, we're a team and we're meant to take things on together." Dean gently laid Castiel to rest and sat down beside the bed, keeping his hand close and touching something so that Cas knew he wasn't alone.

"Makes sense…" Sam nodded and sat next to Jet's bed again, looking back at the journal. "Guess we'll be here for a bit longer then."

"Looks that way." Dean shrugged, not really caring too much about it.

* * *

It took a few hours but soon Castiel was up again, acting like nothing had really changed though maybe a bit tired. Like other times he was healed up and Dean sat at his side, his mouth pulled tight in a worried expression as Castiel readied himself to leave. Sam and Jet had gone out for a quick walk so it was just them in there now. "Cas," He started and paused, watching how Castiel shook his head.

"Don't… I don't know, so don't ask me."

"You don't know what I was going to ask."

"Doesn't matter, I don't know the answer." Cas didn't look at him and all Dean could do was wonder why.

"How are you feeling?"

"I don't know." Castiel looked over at him, his eyes a little puffy from crying earlier and Dean could see it all in the stormy blue. Cas knew what had happened, if even just a little. "Dean… I'm sorry. I don't know why I said all that."

"Don't worry about it," Dean stood up and went behind Cas, wrapping his arms around the other priest and resting there for a moment. It felt nice; to have Castiel in his arms this way. "We just want you to know we're here with you, always."

"I know you are…" Cas sighed and rested back against Dean, a smile coming to his lips. "I'm just stressed out…"

"A lot of things have changed for you too, I understand that you'd be a bit out of it. Like I said, don't worry about it."

Cas turned his head a little and looked at Dean, really looked and for a second Dean thought they could speak to one another without actually saying a word. He knew it was impossible for that but it still felt like they were actually that close.

"You know I really care about you." Dean whispered, his arms around Castiel's middle tightening just enough to let Cas know they were still there.

"I do." Castiel licked his lips briefly; he looked as though he were considering so many things at once. Things he could say or do, but none of it really mattered, all that mattered was that little moment they shared. Just the closeness and the feeling that he wasn't alone in the universe. Cas closed his eyes and let himself forget for few seconds, forget all the things that led him there, all the pain and the anguish and insanity. It was just them, just that room.

"Dean…" He whispered the name so softly he wasn't even sure it was actually out loud and not in his head. But Dean replied with an equally soft sound, just a little groan from his throat to indicate he'd heard. Castiel smiled and folded his hands over Dean's, feeling so much more at ease and safer than he'd ever felt before.

"I love you."

There was another soft sound from Dean's throat, the same 'hm' as before but mixed in with a chuckle.

"What's funny?" Cas asked, not really taking offense, just smiling, glad to be where he was.

Dean squeezed him gently and buried his face in the crook of Cas' neck. "You stole my line."

Castiel laughed.


	37. PMA: I Miss The Sound of Your Voice

**Mainline**

As soon as they were able they took off from the wastelands, goodbyes weren't necessary on any account. Dean had no intentions of saying anything to the bad tempered raider, Cas didn't want to speak with the undead version of Dean, Sam hadn't actually met himself and Jet would just as well have punched the other him in the face. All in all it was a clean get away, no hurt feelings at any point.

Castiel sighed lightly as they strolled down the mainline, eyes scanning for some kind of sign that a world was in trouble. He wasn't looking at Dean but he could feel him there, a gaze that all but screamed 'I'm concerned' at him. Cas was a bit slower than usual and he all but dozed off while standing still. It was clear to everyone that he was exhausted but no one knew what to say. The entire mission was a mess half the time and it had become too obvious to everyone that no one actually knew what was going on.

Everything Cas had thought was true turned out to be questionable at best and when it came down to the magical abilities he carried he couldn't even really say what was wrong. They didn't work the way they should have and for some reason did a number on him.

"You know," Cas started to speak first, catching everyone's attention immediately. "It's so weird how things have changed… We haven't been together that long but it still feels like forever."

"I think it has been, we're just bad at telling time." Jet smiled and shrugged, doing his best not to injure himself further. He was also moving a bit slower, his head a bit spinny and though he wouldn't tell the others, feeling nauseous.

"Maybe." Castiel chuckled and looked over at Dean who's expression softened toward him. They shared their moment, the words lingering between them with every stare and it was making Cas feel tingly inside. He remembered the feeling all too well and yet somehow it was all brand new. "What else is strange about all this, though? Before I met you all the celestials were holy beings that never altered aside from vanishing on me a few times every now and then. My magic can't decide whether it's sucking me dry or trying to blow me up. And Dean can't connect to his magical abilities like I do."

"Sam's hair." Dean added and earned himself a punch to the shoulder. "What? It's so long!"

"You know what I think?" Jet tried not to laugh at Sam but it was kind of true. They both had shaggy hairstyles but Jet kept his fairly short in comparison.

Sam rolled his eyes, getting ready for a stupid comment but decided to amuse the other wounded member of their party. "What do you think, Jet?"

"I think we should visit a world that's not in imminent danger. Most of this stuff is timeline crap, right? Well what's the harm in leaving it for a little while? I vote we pick a world with a less intense trail of fire around it."

Surprisingly it wasn't as stupid as Sam had expected. He looked over at his brother with a shrug, "That kind of sounds like a good plan to me."

Dean nodded, not even having to look at Castiel to know that he was unimpressed with their decision. "I think we could use a break, what do you say Cas?"

"I'd say that we need to keep moving but…" Cas looked down at the road below him and the void swimming beneath that. "I think I need to get my mind off all this lest I lose it."

"Good, then it's settled. Jet, pick a fire and follow it."

"Done deal." Jet smirked and for the first time led the group to the new reality they'd be visiting.

* * *

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 1**

The same feeling of travelling through space, time, and dimension opened up as always and for the first time Dean felt safe. There was no underlying vibe that he was going to stumble into a world of hurt first thing. Which, after the last realm they were in, was a very exciting prospect. He'd only just learned to be cautious as soon as he stepped through the portal and that thought had made more of a home in his mind than he'd originally thought. Feeling the safety of this new world was a surprise but welcome all the same.

The first thing he noticed was the atmosphere of the room he stepped into. Dean knew it all too well, the dim lighting, flashing advertisements on screens high above them, and a giant crowd of people mingling. It was an indoor arena made out for what looked like a massive concert. And by what he could tell the warm up bands had finished not too long ago, meaning the main act was about to make center stage.

"Dean!" Sam caught his arm after wriggling through the crowd, "See Cas anywhere?"

Dean looked at Sam then Jet who was right on his tail, "Uh, not yet. We'll find him."

"Guess it's not a 'danger is imminent' thing with that whole separating us deal, huh?" Jet joked, looking up to the stage as people started rushing toward it, all chit chat and excitement.

"Looks that way..." Dean trailed off as he witnessed the amount of people emerging from all over for the next performance. "Wonder who we're here to see?"

"No idea who they are but they're called 'Pleasure My Angel.'" Sam pointed toward someone's shirt as they all but screamed as they passed.

"You don't know who they are?" Someone sounded astonished, "How?!"

"Uhm... living under a rock apparently." Jet shrugged and made a gesture to shoo the guy away, "Off with you now, not interested in your fan-boy syndrome."

"Hope they're good." Dean frowned, able to tell by the crowd that the music they'd hear wasn't going to be to his tastes.

The room was suddenly deafened when the sound of a guitar rumbled over the speakers and people screeched in response. Jet raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Dean, neither knowing what they'd gotten themselves into with this one. Sam seemed to enjoy the opening jingle as a single spotlight lit up the microphone, an all too familiar figure standing by it.

"Is that Cas?" Dean furrowed his brow, knowing neither of the two beside him had probably heard because the screaming only got louder when Castiel made an appearance. Dean would have squinted and tried to see if it was his Castiel but he knew already that it wasn't. First off he wasn't wearing the uniform, second as soon as the music picked up his hips started to move and that wasn't something the other priest had ever demonstrated.

"Not our Cas." Jet shouted back at him, sounding distant in such a large crowd. People shrieked for 'Angel' and 'Castiel' and 'PMA' all at once, it was a miracle any of the three travellers understood a word.

The first song as was normal in most concerts was a chart topper, something to pump the crowd up and something that would make an awesome opening act. Cas could really move, his stage presence was dominating over everyone else up there with him and quite frankly Dean had almost completely missed the other people. The costumes were thought out and only added to the ambiance the rest of the band made up. Dean would have been lying if he said he wasn't impressed.

The big screens showed close ups of the band for those that were in the nose bleeds and far away seating, one shot flashed across Castiel's hand and Dean noted the wedding ring immediately. _'That probably means the other me is around here somewhere.'_ He thought somewhat amused, looking around for someone who'd get V.I.P. treatment.

"He looks older," Sam pointed out just in time for the song to end and everyone cheer all over again. Dean had heard him, though. Castiel did look older and the weird thing was maybe that was even hotter than all the younger Castiel's he'd come across. Cas not only 'still looked good' when he was aged but he might've even looked better. Dean could only hope that he's image did the same.

"Good evening! How're my little sinners doing tonight?" Castiel called into the microphone, smiling wickedly as the crowd screeched for him, "As you all know tonight's show is a charity event so please remember to buy something, all proceeds-"

As he made the opening speech Dean couldn't help but notice all the eyes glancing his way, over and over someone looked at him then nudged a new person to stare. Whisperings and excited smiles all around him made him think that maybe his alternate self wasn't entirely a nobody.

"Are you a Winchester?" Someone finally had the nerve to ask, her eyes sparkling as she stared at his face.

"Uh... Yeah."

"Are... are you related to Dean and Castiel?"

That was the question and Dean wasn't sure how to answer it. He was Dean so did that count as being related? "Yeah, we're not famous so they don't talk about us much." He heard himself lying and wanted to stop but the way they lit up was spectacular. He felt like a celebrity by association and if that wasn't the coolest thing.

Sam rolled his eyes and looked back to the stage as people started to get rowdy again, though many of them were started to turn toward Dean in the crowd. "What's this, then?" Castiel squinted through the stage light to try and see. "Is somebody upstaging me over there? C'mere, let me see you."

Sam and Jet both looked at Dean, one grinning and shoving him forward the other wearing a 'what have you done' expression. Dean shrugged and moved forward, people stepping aside so he could get to the front, he looked up to see Castiel's cocky features slip, eyes widening slightly the closer he got. Though that didn't mean he lost composure, Cas reached down and pulled Dean up onto the stage, his gaze lingering on Dean's face and barely faltering to go lower or anywhere else. Something about Castiel, he had eyes that forced your attention and when he had it the look was that much more intense for it.

"Dean?" He asked into the microphone and if Dean could have measured the amount of confusion in the crowd at the moment he'd say it was off the charts.

"Yeah," Dean smiled at him, not sure where the hell he could possibly go from there so a single worded reply was all that he had.

Cas smiled wildly at him and Dean could only really question the man's actual age, the air around Cas didn't exactly say 'I'm an older man.' "I suppose we'll have to talk later, Dean. For now don't interrupt me, hm?" He gave a quick wink that burned a blush into Dean's cheeks.

"Right, sorry." Dean looked out at the crowd and felt his limbs tense. There were so many people and he could only imagine that the camera was aimed directly at his face for the world to see. "You're... pretty famous huh?"

Castiel opened his mouth to speak but instead he had to turn away laughing, "Yeah, yeah I guess I'm pretty famous. What do you guys think?"

Dean couldn't believe the wall of noise coming at him, the masses of people moving and waving and shouting all at once. It was overwhelming but exhilarating. Dean smiled at them and gave a wave, Castiel was playing the situation and he could see that. A charity event usually had weird stunts and things to convince people to dish out extra cash, Cas was using the appearance of a different Dean as if he'd planned for it. All the people in the crowd would most likely believe it was either incredible cosplay or an amazing make-up job. Regardless of what they believed, though, Dean was still standing in front of thousands of people.

"I don't believe you," Dean shrugged and looked at Cas like it really didn't matter to him. "From what I hear you're not making much with this charity event, spending more to please people than help the needy. _Real_ fans would help out more."

The crowd was riled of course, especially by the look on Castiel's face when he reacted. "Well I never! The nerve of some people!"

Sam looked at Jet for some kind of hint that the other was as unimpressed with Dean as he was, but Sam tended to forget that Jet was Dean's best friend. Jet was laughing and jeering with the rest of the people around him, shouting random things like the fans that were really into it. "I can't wait until I find the other adult of our group..." Sam muttered with a smile, folding his arms over his chest to look up at Dean again.

"Well I think it's time to shun the non-believer." Cas motioned toward security, "Get this guy off my stage."

Dean chuckled as he was escorted away, pretending to throw a big fuss about it until he was let go, hurrying through the crowd back to where Sam and Jet were located. "Did you guys see that!?"

"Kind of funny, dude." Jet fist bumped him when prompted, "Feeling a bit of stage fright were you?"

"Do you know how many people are here? This is crazy! It's the biggest charity event I think I've seen."

"It is kind of amazing," Sam looked around, a smile on his face as he looked up toward the nose bleed section to see just how many people were enjoying the show from up there despite being so far away. "I guess he's famous enough for this."

"I'd say so, yeah." Dean turned his attention back to the stage, eyes lit up and face full of excitement. A concert was what they needed, though Castiel was supposed to be among them. Dean tried not to let that get to him, that he was always separated from Cas and that again he didn't know where the guy was, but he reminded himself that the world they were in wasn't meant to be dangerous.

The thought of Cas lingered until one of the stage props opened near the end of their concert. Dean's eyes widened even further when he watched his Castiel stumble out next to the original performer. The band looked at one another, Gabriel and Balthazar shrugging as Anna turned to stare at the new comer. Cas, the singer, looked just as surprised as everyone else but only for a split second. He moved to the priest's side and leaned up to his ear, whispering something to the terrified looking Cas who had just spent the last hour stuck in a box of some kind.

"Oh dear god." Jet snorted and covered his mouth to try and hide it in a thoughtful stance, "This ought to be good."

"Oh Cas..." Sam sounded empathetic for him though Dean could hear the little snicker behind the intended emotion.

The three expected a disaster or at least something to laugh at but that wasn't what they got. The music hit hard, catchy and overwhelming. Lights started to flicker and Castiel's voice crackled over the speakers, his control over his vocal chords was nothing short of amazing. He sang a song that many in the crowd recognized but the three travellers had no idea what everyone was so happy about, at least not until the lyrics became a little clearer to them. As the Castiel they had come to know slowly walked across the stage, a dim spotlight hitting him to illuminate his extruding features, Dean felt the weight of the song. It was about not really knowing yourself, seeing a different person in the mirror and not being what you had expected. Having one Castiel wasn't quite enough to demonstrate it but with another appearing for his use it quickly became many fans' favourite performance.

Approaching the climax the two Castiel's came face to face, the lyrics saying something about the reflection being flawed, that it flowed and copied but was never on time with the original. And though they didn't expect the singer's performance to be mimicked, the priest broke out the same dance moves he'd just witnessed, only moments after. The crowd cheered as soon as the two danced face to face, never looking away from the other and building up a level of tension between them that no one in the crowd could even fathom. Dean's face lit up even more as he watched his partner move, seeing Castiel let loose like that, seeing him dance was more than astounding, not to mention hotter than hell.

"Damn," Jet clapped and looked at his other two slack-jawed companions, "I didn't know he could move like that."

"I thought if he tried his hips would break." Dean laughed, not looking away from the stage to make the comment. He didn't want to miss a second of Castiel's performance.

The song ended with a bang, Castiel taking his alternate's hand lifting it in the air, leading the priest in a bow to the crowd, "Thank you all! And have a wonderful night!"

The roar in response was heartfelt and Dean, Sam, and Jet were all apart of it. Even if they hadn't enjoyed it they would have cheered, Castiel managed to do something other than a fated magical action or deal with a void monster. It was worth celebrating.

"He's taking Cas backstage," Sam pointed, "Come on, let's go get him." Dean and Jet were right on his heels, all of them swept away in the excitement and rush of the crowd. It'd been a while since they'd had real fun so none of them were really complaining about the level of jumping around they had to do to get by people. Losing the energy seemed to be the utmost of impossibilities.

They managed to get by security just on their looks alone, the guards having noticed that Dean was on stage previously so clearly he must have been a guest of Castiel's. The three looked around, trying to find the door to the backstage when someone called out to them, "Hey! What was that about?"

Dean turned his head to see a young man approaching him, his features resembling Castiel's but not quite, a similar mess of dark hair on his head. "What was... what about?"

"I thought you were staying home for this one, too much of a crowd or some bullshit. What're you doing here? And interrupting mom's performance-"

"Mom!?" Dean, Sam and Jet all blurted it out at once, eyes popping in unison. "Who's your mom? The red-head?" Jet continued, always a bit of a loud-mouth.

"Very funny, whoever you are." The young man rolled his eyes and looked Dean over, "You look good though, was it Balthazar or Gabriel that pulled the fancy magic stuff?"

"Neither, who are you?" Dean furrowed his brow, watching the stranger make the exact same face.

"Uhm... are you on something? It's Tommy, you're son?" The amount of sarcasm would have been insulting if Dean hadn't just heard the word 'son' come from him.


	38. PMA: I Miss The Rush of Your Skin

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 2**

Tommy stared hard at them, his expression one of scrutiny and slight confusion. Dean's was one of fear and confusion so they weren't that far off. "You and Uncle Sam look a lot younger, did they wipe your minds too?" Tommy pushed a little, evidently looking to find an answer. His father was much older than the man standing in front of him, as was his uncle. Obviously the other two supernatural creatures he knew must have had something to do with it, right? His mind reeled as he tried to figure out why the three standing across from him had no words as to what was going on. Gabriel and Balthazar were angels and both capable of this kind of thing, but he doubted that either of them would let them forget their family. Dean would never want to forget him, would he? No, there must have been something else then. Maybe it was another demon like they'd dealt with before. "Wait... was it Snowe? Is he possessed again?"

"Snowe? No. Who's that?" Dean made a face; his mind still unsure of what to do in that situation, defaulting to somewhat of a dick seemed his best option. "Whatever kid, I'm not your dad now get out of our way, we need to see Castiel." Dean tried to move past him but Tommy grabbed his arm firmly and pulled him back again, surprisingly strong for a human, if that's really what he was.

"Hold it," Tommy sounded a little hurt but he did well to hide most of it. "If you're not my dad then I'm sure as _hell_ not letting you near my mom, you son of a bitch."

"He kinda does sound like you, man." Jet chuckled, moving to ease Tommy's grip, "Chill out, kiddo. We're not from around here but we look like people you or your parents might have known."

Tommy glared at Jet suspiciously, "None of us know someone like you, did you do this?"

"What? Me?" Jet looked at Dean and Sam with as much innocence as he could, "I wouldn't do anything strange, would I?"

"Does all the time count?" Sam smiled, getting a bit of a laugh from Dean. "But no, Tommy this is Jet and he's one of our friends. He's very trustworthy so don't worry about him, okay? He's not lying either, we're dimension travellers."

Tommy's face flinched a little with recognition, "Well... my parents had a run in with something like that a long time ago..." his expression softened a little though he was still extremely distrusting. "I'm going to take you to him but I swear, if you do anything I will slaughter you. Don't think for a second that I won't."

"You allow murder in this world?" Dean tried to shrug it off like nothing though he would've been lying if he said it didn't unnerve him a little. The guy was so young looking and yet he still threatened a life like a pro.

"Weird dimension travellers? Who would know?" Tommy started walking after giving them a slight glare over his shoulder. "I've done it before with a demon so like I said, watch it."

"No problem," Jet sounded surprisingly friendly despite the death threat, "We're not really going to do anything so there's no need for us to worry about it."

Tommy only grunted back as a reply, clearly not sold on the whole thing. Sam caught up to his side, walking slightly behind so as not to look like he were attempting anything, "You're really defensive of your mom, has something happened before?"

"Demons go after mom a lot, or at least they did. It's been a while since we've heard anything, several years since I killed the last one that possessed my brother-in-law. And that last demon had been messing in his life for nearly 15 years before it did anything. There was one several years before that one that also tried to kill him so yeah, I'm a little wary about it. It's been a while and I don't want to risk anything happening now." Tommy explained whilst keeping an eye on Sam though he didn't seem to be as edgy about Sam as he was about Dean and Jet.

Jet leaned over to Dean, "What the hell? Why do they all fall for Sam like that?"

Dean chuckled and shrugged, "Dunno, same reason we do I guess." He looked at Tommy long and hard after the explanation though, wondering what any demon might want with Castiel. He was a friggin' singer, sure he was famous and loved all around the world but he was still just a celebrity. What could they possibly do with Cas? "Hey, Tommy, why would a demon want your mom?"

"If you don't know then I'm not giving it away." Obviously Tommy had that Winchester stubborn streak, something that made Sam laugh. Nature vs. nurture and clearly 'thick-headed and difficult' was a Winchester's natural trait.

"Well then answer this, how is it you can kill demons?" Dean wasn't about to give up; he was a Winchester first after all.

"I'm not all human." The young man gave in a little; Sam figured it was more of a scare tactic. If they didn't know _what_ he was then maybe he was scarier in their imaginations than real life.

"A supernatural being made up of a human and something else," Jet crossed his arms and looked at the two travelling with him, "Obviously the demons wanted Cas because he was the non-human part of the relationship. So whatever the other half of this kid is must be what Cas is."

"Was. Mom's human now so it doesn't matter anymore."

"But you're not human, right? So you're strong enough to protect her- I mean him?" Dean caught up to Tommy's other side, looking at his face as he led them down the hall and past ridiculous amounts of security. Tommy nodded, meeting Dean's eyes briefly before quickly looking away again, he didn't want to end up trusting them any more than he already was. "You're worried, aren't you? Because you're the only one who can keep him safe?"

"Not exactly, there's Balthazar and Gabriel too." Tommy evidently avoided saying what they were, which only gave away that they must have been the same thing.

Sam furrowed his brow, knowing that he'd heard of Gabriel before and that he was some guy that apparently hooked up with him in other universes. But the name, aside from being a somewhat common name, it could have been more of a clue than anything else. The Gabriel he'd met earlier wasn't the common ethnicity for the name, and it was also the name of an archangel in the Bible. Archangels weren't human and could be considered the opposite of demons, therefore possibly being targets of one. "Are you guys angels, by any chance?"

Tommy looked at him in a way that gave it away immediately though he tried to hide it, "No, where'd you get that?"

"Don't bother, you're as bad at lying as your dad is." Sam chuckled, earning himself a glare from Dean. "And I don't know why you'd hide that, it's pretty cool."

"We did meet a Cas who used to be an angel," Dean added thoughtfully, "He lost his wings too, I wonder why the angels are falling?"

"Probably not connected." Tommy shook his head, "This was kind of a specific incident, the other angels in the area are fine so I doubt it was an epidemic or something. Anyway, we're almost there, you can ask my mom what you need to then you can leave. We don't want trouble around here."

Dean wished he could figure out what exactly had happened to make the kid so protective and defensive. Of course, if he stopped in every single world and tried to figure out the backstory he'd be there for an extremely long period of time. "You sound like you need a vacation, kiddo."

"I'm actually pretty good, we vacation regularly."

"So then you need to relax when you go, you're pretty uptight."

Tommy frowned at him, still skeptical and untrusting, "I don't let my guard down for just anybody, alright? I'm not always like this."

"I'll keep that in mind." Dean smiled at him, figuring that maybe he was getting somewhere on the trust scale. After all, Tommy hadn't shut down and told him to shut up.

_Earlier, elsewhere..._

The performance over and everyone unwinding, Castiel was too excited about his other self. The lighting on stage had made it difficult to see properly but Cas had an idea that the stranger wasn't too different than him. Over two decades, possibly even three, had passed since the last time he had run into another version of himself. Regardless it had been one hell of an experience, he'd thought dealing with a demon the years before was weird but clearly he didn't think outside the box far enough.

Granted the time he'd fallen into an alternate reality was actually an attempt on his life by someone, a friend who claimed to have better intentions. Fun and games wouldn't be how he'd describe it, especially since he'd had to deal with a Dean that was cruel and unloving for a while. Truth be told though it was a way to strengthen his own relationship, it showed him how much his Dean really loved him and missed him.

So, since there was a new Castiel visiting _him_ that time, he couldn't just pass it up and ignore it. "Damn, you really do look like me." Castiel circled the priest, looking him over thoroughly as he did so. "You've got the hair, the eyes, and the body. Hell, you can move too. Who are you? Are you from another dimension?"

"You… know about that?" Cas watched himself carefully though he wasn't too scared about a celebrity. The first world he'd gone to with his new companions had a Castiel that had experienced some form of time travel, this one could have possibly dealt with dimensions. It wasn't that much of a stretch, though Cas wasn't exactly comfortable with the thought of people skipping over to other dimensions on their own. It felt unstable to him, they had no training to do it and no guidance, how easily they could be lost to the void was extremely high, it would screw up their world indefinitely.

"We've dealt with some dimensional messy crap before," The singer muttered the words that Cas had been hoping to not hear as the celebrity lifted up the back of his alternate self's coat.

"Hey!"

"Just checking something, calm down."

"What the hell are you checking, my ass?!"

Cas chuckled and nodded, "Exactly what I'm looking at."

The priest pulled away and adjusted his jacket with a light huff; he wasn't sure how he felt about this one. "This isn't a joke, my being here is a symbol that something is wrong with your world."

"Never said it was a joke, just wanted to know if you were as similar as the last me I ran into." He paused and looked the priest up and down again, his hand over his mouth thoughtfully. "Are you an angel too?" Apparently he wasn't too worried about the possibility of a threat.

"Angel? No. I'm a High Priest of The Faith, I-"

"What's 'The faith'?" As well he was far too used to being the center of attention. At least the last singer they'd come across was a great listener; this one was a full-tale diva.

"It's what we call the belief and knowledge of certain things." Castiel wasn't exactly in the mood for exposition but the expression he met indicated that his other self wasn't about to let him escape with that answer. "Basically there are hundreds of thousands of different dimensions and realities all on the main timeline, they each technically have their own timeline but all are connected to the main one. Just like they have their own dimensions they're still all connected in some way to the mainline, the Faith is knowing this, believing in this. The Faith is knowing that there are higher entities above even the Gods of the dimensions; as well it's knowing that these entities have a hand in the fate of the worlds. It's a sort of religion as well as a way of life, not so much a creation story as it is a cycle."

"So it's kind of like a library." The performer Castiel nodded in understanding, "Each book is a dimension and they're all on the shelves of the library. The shelves are the roads connecting them and the library is this 'mainline' dimension that holds all of it. That's pretty crazy… I'd say too crazy for me but you're standing right here so… I don't know what I can say to that really."

"I guess you could see it like that, yes." The priest folded his arms over his chest and leaned against a wall, "A High Priest is a person that works for those entities I spoke of. They always come in pairs and take care of the dimensional problems that occur. Imagine if the library was on top of a pit with monsters lurking, and those monsters were able to get inside any world in any book if it were open to them. The high priests are the ones sent to remove those creatures and fix the world the book's story was originally supposed to be in."

"What monsters are you talking about? I haven't seen anything here."

"Well… I may have exaggerated." He looked away somewhat sheepishly, "The fires leading us to this world were much weaker and of a different colour. This basically means that you're at risk but I don't think anything's here. My team wanted to take a short break, we've had a hard time lately…" He felt silly saying it, like they were burdened with saving the universe and they got tired so clearly it was time to take an easy job despite there being several other places they could have gone. In the time he'd worked alone he rarely took a break, it took long enough in some worlds to find the damned void monsters that he didn't feel he needed any down time. On top of that, after joining with Dean and the others, they spent more time _finding_ one another that he felt like it made even less sense. But judging by his counter part's expression he figured maybe he was the only one who thought so.

"How long have you been at this?" The singer sounded sympathetic if nothing else, it was that they were in a world with friendly people again. The wasteland wasn't something he'd ever want to visit again if he had a choice.

"Myself personally? I believe it's been hundreds of years, I haven't kept track as much as I probably should have. The others have been with me for much less. I'd say a few months at the most. Maybe two." He smiled; it still felt like longer than that. Like Dean had been there, always with him and ready to catch him. He was living those years alone in search of one person and now it didn't matter how long things took, how far they'd go, as long as they were all together. He'd never trade Sam in, he'd never tell Jet to go home, he was far too used to his new family.

"That's a really long time to be alone," The sound of the other Castiel's voice was somewhat disheartened, his face full of sympathy and sadness. "How are you holding up? Is it weird to be with others now?"

"I… Sometimes? It was harder before; I had a hard time talking to them. Now… I don't know, I don't know how I managed to do any of this on my own, especially for that long. I start to miss them, for example right now I wish they were here."

"You're in love."

"Excuse me?" The priest looked at his alternate self's smiling face, his own mostly surprised.

"You're in love with one of them, Dean I'm assuming."

While it was true, Castiel couldn't believe it was that obvious on his face. Was every other Castiel extreme perceptive or was he just really ignorant? Regardless of that answer it wasn't all that relevant. "Well, yes I am… Is it that obvious?"

"Extremely. I know the love struck look too well, I had for a really long time, still do though it changes after a period of time. Kids will do that."

The priest paused and furrowed his brow, looking over at himself a little more seriously now. "Did you say… kids?"

"Yeah, Dean and I had one and we sort of helped raise some orphans along the way too. You'll meet Tommy soon, I'm sure he'll be here any moment." The singer grinned from ear to ear at the way his dimension travelling guest paled and went through a series of expressions before settling on neutral.

"…kids…" Castiel repeated again, this time to himself and a little more thoughtful. Of course thoughtful or not he couldn't hide the tinge of fear lurking in his mind. He and Dean? Kids? What on earth would their son look like? What would Dean say? Cas didn't even know what kind of father he'd make. Not that it was _his_ kid, but it was kind of his kid. "What do I say to him?"

"To Tommy?"

"No, Dean. He's probably freaking out right now."

"So are you. Just say whatever comes to mind, you guys'll work through it." The singer smiled and stood up, "I gotta make a phone call, my baby's probably upset I haven't done it yet."

"Dean?"

"Yep, who else?" He gave a wink before fishing out his phone and wandering a little ways off.

Castiel remained seated and thinking, his eyes only getting wider when he heard the door behind him open. "Mom?" A voice that sounded like it would be somewhat familiar, a sort of mix between him and Dean but younger. Cas glanced over to the door and tightened his jaw when he saw his Dean approaching.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry the update took so long, I was sort of celebrating my birthday on the 9th alone and didn't feel like doing anything for anybody all week :P Kind of a big baby move but I was in a state of mind that might've ruined anything I was writing so I stayed away from it lest I do something I'd regret ^_^**

**Anyway hope you all enjoyed, thanks for reading! Lemme know what you think so far, I appreciate all the reviews and favourites it's been getting, glad people are liking it :D**


	39. PMA: If I Could Walk On Water

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 3**

The rock star smiled at his son and gave him a 'one minute sign' with his index finger and pointed toward the phone, Tommy pursed his lips but nodded all the same. "Okay, well mom will be done in a second." He looked over at Dean who, to his surprise, was more interested in the stranger on the couch. Tommy looked at his mother's doppelganger curiously, he'd heard the stories of alternate dimensions but he had never seen someone who looked exactly the same. Aside from the age difference, though to be fair being part angel was one hell of a crutch.

"Cas, you okay?" Dean sat down next to his partner who quickly looked away and nodded silently. "Were you stuck in that box the whole time? Also I didn't know you could dance like that." Dean tried to move into Castiel's line of sight but the other priest looked away further so as not to have to take part in eye contact.

"Yes, well I wasn't too worried about the box. I mean it was a bit confusing, I wasn't sure where I was but we always seem to find one another so I hadn't seen a reason to panic. Not to mention Jet picked a world without any signs of the void, I kind of feel like we're wasting time-"

"Cas," Dean reached over and turned Castiel's face so he could see it, "We talked about this already, you even said you needed a break."

"Well I… this isn't exactly a break is it?" Castiel pointed over at Tommy, "That's a child between an alternate you and me, does that not make feel a little weird? I'm stressing out here."

Dean glanced at Tommy, who was busy trying to get the other Castiel's attention, and shrugged, "Well I hadn't expected it but really he's kind of cute."

Cas felt his cheeks heating up the longer he looked at Dean, he'd never pictured himself having a family like that and to hear Dean say that a child between them was cute made the strangest tingling feelings inside him. "I… I don't know what to say to that really…"

"You don't have to say anything, just try and relax a little." Dean grinned at him and before Cas could respond the singer had finished phone call home.

"Okay, you're all in luck," He gave Dean a quick wink, just a little something to remind him of the time they'd spent on stage together, "Our little family had been planning a celebration day and you've all shown up just in time for it." Cas ruffled Tommy's hair as he passed him by, "Dean's said that we've got more than enough room for four extra people and he's kind of interested in meeting you all."

"Dad's actually okay with this?" Tommy looked a tad surprised, "Doesn't he normally just want you to himself?"

"You know your dad has gotten better with that," Cas scolded lightly, a knowing smile on his face, "Besides, a whole day of fun and socializing was your dad's idea so don't give me that."

Tommy shrugged and found a spot to sit down, keeping an eye on the four strangers that gathered together. They seemed pretty tight-knit, like any kind of dangerous vibe he'd been getting from them vanished once they found their Cas. "You guys gonna stick around for tomorrow?" He asked somewhat awkwardly, still not sure if he liked them or not.

"I think yes, it's exactly what we were looking for." Sam looked to his brother and Cas first then to Jet who was standing next to him. They all nodded in agreement, "Good pick, Jet."

"Thanks, I'd like to say I'm good like that but really I had no idea." Jet chuckled, glancing up toward the door as it opened again, the other members of the band filing in.

"Cas!" Gabriel hung off his lead singer's shoulder and gave him a big squeeze, "Man you were awesome out there,"

"Thanks, you too." Cas gave Gabe a light peck on the cheek, his version of a returned hug, "I can't believe we haven't done it in so long and we can still rock the house."

"I'm not surprised," Balthazar settled next to Dean on the couch, not at all disturbed by their presence, nor did he care for personal space. "We've always been good and Cas sings every opportunity he gets."

"Doesn't mean _we_ aren't out of practice," Anna pointed out as she sat on the armrest, leaning her elbow on Balthazar's head. "Pretty sure I heard you screw up back there, Balthy."

"Silence, wench." Balthazar muttered into his glass of what Dean and the others assumed to be wine.

"Guys, if you hadn't noticed already," Cas pointed at the four dimension travellers, "We've got alternate reality guests with us. Another Dean, another me, another Sam, and that one there is… Jet I assume? Sam called you Jet so that's what I'll go with."

"Yeah that's Jet," Tommy sounded a little exasperated which hadn't quite prompted a response from Jet though he did make a face in the kid's general direction.

"Nice to meet you guys," Gabriel gave a quick wave, a little energetic to be sure. "Sammy, lookin' good. Weird not seeing the side-burns of destiny on your face."

Sam furrowed his brow and glared over at Dean the second he heard his brother snorting back a laugh. "You and the Sam in this world aren't together, are you?" He had to ask, it all sounded so weird to him and truth be told Castiel's story about the last Gabriel hadn't exactly set his mind at ease about this Gabriel guy.

"Me and Sam? Hell no!" Gabe immediately stepped away and stopped looking at Sam indefinitely, "Geez man, weird."

Jet smirked but didn't say anything about it, instead he looked over at the lead singer who had unwound from his performance clothing and into a loose, white button up shirt. "What's the plan for tomorrow exactly?"

"Start the day off by going to the beach, have picnics in the attached park, play around, do whatever. Might go bowling or play some mini-golf if time permits, but mostly in the evening we're basically setting up a social. There'll be drinking, dancing, a lot of food, that's about it. You'd be surprised but keeping things mostly simple makes it better." Cas smiled at him, "Gives us a lot of time to just relax and talk."

"Whatever," Tommy grinned, "You're just getting old."

"Watch it," Cas used a warning tone that most people would only equate with a parents' and really, it sounded perfectly normal coming from him.

Dean leaned back on the couch and sighed lightly, wanting to put his arm around his Castiel but deciding against it. "Sounds like a lot of fun, if you ask me. We'll probably need summery clothes for it, I don't want to go to the beach in my trench coat."

"Just reach into the coat and take what you need." His partner reminded him, poking him in the forehead.

"You know I kinda forgot about that. Do I just imagine it like I do my weapon?"

"Sort of. It's a little more complex than that, but if you want to simplify it then yes? We're equipped with just about anything so if you imagine it something similar will come to you. I can't guarantee it'll look the way you picture it but it does the job."

"So basically you guys are carrying everything but the kitchen sink?" Jet raised an eyebrow and nudged Dean's shoulder, "Dude, give me a sandwich."

"Get your own goddamn sandwich." Dean smacked his friend's hand away.

"But I'm hungry! Give me a sandwich."

Sam rolled his eyes and shoved Jet over, "Anyway, thank you for inviting us." He looked to Castiel and Tommy with as welcoming a smile he could muster despite the idiotic company he seemed to be keeping. "We really appreciate it."

"No problem, we're more than happy to have you." The singer beamed at them, "Now come on, let's get going."

"I'll take that as my hint," Balthazar sighed and stood up, taking hold of the two priests, "Gabriel get the other two."

"I can take those ones," Gabriel argued as he walked over, earning himself a look from Balthazar. "Dean and the weird guy?" Still staring. "Cas and the weird guy?"

"Jet. My name is Jet." The voice accompanying the words was flat and unhumored.

"Just grab Sam and let's go." Balthazar rolled his eyes, Anna taking hold of him as he all but vanished.

"Whoa…" Sam stared wide-eyed at where Dean and Cas had been standing moments before, "Did… did he just… Where did they go?"

"They flew home, now come here." Gabriel grabbed the two of them, glancing over at Cas and Tommy right before Balthazar returned for them, "Oh good, I thought you were going to force me to make two trips too."

"Not _that_ mean, am I?" Balthazar gave a sassy little smile before flying away again, this time Gabriel right behind him.

The house they entered was enormous and beautiful. The ceilings were high, the floor was polished, there were decorative vases all over the place. And Dean was pretty damn sure he saw a statue. "How did we get here so fast?"

"Flew you." Balthazar smiled as he reappeared alongside Gabriel and the rest of the people that had been in the room. Dean looked at Sam's bewildered face and knew that at least he wasn't the only one.

"This place is amazing…" Sam exhaled as he looked at the décor and everything in general. It really was a nice place, like living in a palace. "Why is it so big?"

"Because mom's a drama queen, that's why." Tommy chuckled, "Ours is pretty nice too, right down the road there." He pointed out the window toward the neighbouring property that looked about the same, except perhaps a little more modern.

"Damn…" Jet eyed what looked like a family portrait, "Did you guys get this _fucking painted!?_" He walked up to it to get a closer look, "Seriously?"

"Actually the artist asked us if he could do it," Castiel pointed out, "He's one of the boys that lives down the road with Tommy. Really amazing with a brush, he just had to look at us a few times, I don't think those were the faces we were making while we stood there either."

"He's good." Sam marveled alongside Jet's awestruck self.

As they all stood impressed by the house a few more people entered the room, the sound of general surprise coming in a short wave. "What's going on?" It was Sam's voice but he definitely sounded older. The travellers turned to look and suffice to say none of them were expecting him to look the way he did. There was at _least_ a ten-year difference between him and their Sam, not to mention he looked like he meant business.

"Dean didn't say, did he?" The singer sighed heavily and walked over to his brother in-law. "They're from a different dimension and I'd asked Dean if they could join us for tomorrow. He said yes, I assumed he'd tell you."

"Of course he wouldn't, Dean would much prefer I get the surprise on my own." Sam rolled his eyes and looked back at them, his younger self more than the rest. "Welcome to the house guys, let me show you to the guest rooms."

Dean looked at the others who shrugged in return; he couldn't help but laugh at Jet's face though. It was a mixture of shock, awe, and 'holy shit your brother wears old like it's his bitch.' "You okay there Jet?" He asked as they followed the older Sam down the hall.

"I swear to god I'm going to age like a potato while the rest of you fuckers do it like wine." Jet grumbled, the little break in his voice telling more about how he tried not to laugh than anything else.

"Don't be silly, Jet. You're already pretty old and you look fine." Cas grinned, high-fiving Sam immediately after.

"Jet and I are the same age!" Dean protested loudly, looking back at Castiel's 'I'm innocent' face.

"Well… you too then."

Both Sam's chuckled and it was still strange to get it in stereo like that, regardless of how many Sam's they had met throughout their travels.

As they walked the halls of the grandiose building they heard the voice of another Dean, the older one and as much as the priest Dean would have wanted to completely ignore it, he couldn't. He perked up because he wanted to see what he'd look like, how he'd age and if he should possibly buy a paper bag for his face. Needless to say he wasn't disappointed. The older male walked out of a room with a few others they didn't recognize, he looked up and smiled a little bit.

"Dimension travelers?"

"That's us." Castiel answered for them, stepping forward to shake his hand, his face was a mix of emotion that was making his partner a little jealous. "It's very kind of you all to let us stay here, even more so to allow us to join you tomorrow."

"Don't mention it," Dean shrugged and looked over to his husband, the performer offering a smile in return. "We couldn't go and have a good time knowing we'd just left a bunch of new comers like that. Not in our nature I guess." He looked them all over, giving Sam a small chuckle, "You're so skinny, I forgot what it's like when you're not a moose."

Sam made a face at him but left it at that, he wasn't the moose Dean was referring to. "Jet and I are still going to need something for the beach, we can't just pull stuff out of thin air."

"Don't you worry about that," The singer piped in again, "You all should just get some rest, I'll take care of everything else."

"By that he means me and Balthazar!" Gabriel shouted out to them from the other floor.

Ignoring him Cas just continued to smile, it really felt like they were in a home, surrounded by one big family. Dean looked to his brother and noticed the same kind of expression, it was like they were at the picnic they'd held for their parents. The ten year anniversary of their death and it still hurt to think about it, that picnic had been fun but it reminded them of a family they hadn't quite had. Aside from Bobby, and Ellen letting them into their lives. That had been a blessing and Dean missed it, missed them and their bickering, missed the life he'd grown up in.

And yet, seeing Castiel's face, the subtle expressions he made, and hearing his voices, the little inflections in his tone, all which indicated how happy he was, Dean would never go back. Not if he couldn't take Castiel with him. He took his partner's hand and held it tightly as they moved to the spare bedrooms, "Cas," he whispered softly, the other priest looking at him like it was the most natural thing. "Stay in my room tonight?"

Castiel stared and he looked like the world passed through his mind, full of questions and what if's and possibilities that could never be answered. "Yes." He finally replied, his chest moving a little heavier as he inhaled around a lump in his throat. "I will."

"You two sharing a bed too, then?" The other Castiel looked to Sam and Jet who both immediately shook their heads.

"We're good." Sam smiled and walked into his separate room, calling a good night over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Jet smiled in a way that said much more than his words really could, his eyes scanning over Sam's door before he walked to his own room. "Don't screw up, Dean!" He said as he closed his door, laughing at the 'shut up Jet' that had to follow.

The guests all disappeared, the alternate versions of Dean and Castiel grinning in the empty hallway. "It's just so freaking cute, isn't it? They don't know they're in love yet."

"I think Dean and Cas know." Dean started going toward their own room, taking his lover's hand to lead him.

"I mean Sam and the other one. Dean and Cas know, they just need to get it on."

"Let's hope their first time isn't here, might get loud."

"I don't think they're quite there yet, that relationship looks like it's moving a lot slower than ours did."


	40. PMA: Make You Believe

**Author's Note:**

**Exposition time! Lol I know I know, these chapters can be boring but I hope to keep you entertained. Some of this is a bit of recap to make sure we're all on the same page, some of it is figuring out more for plot reasons. I've spent quite a bit of time on character development and relationship growth that I thought it was time for a bit more plot.**

* * *

_Fragments of Memories: Primary World_

_Sam dropped onto the couch and rolled over, facing toward the TV but not really watching it. The news was on though he didn't care what they had to say. He'd just finished the final exam in high school and he was exhausted, studying could really take its toll. Sam knew that graduation would be about a week away and that he'd have to remind Dean of that day because his brother seemed to forget important dates. Maybe it was a joke that Dean held up consistently or maybe it was true, regardless it was annoying. _

_As Sam dreaded having to remind Dean about his graduation and that they'd be busy running around all day following the schedule, he heard the door open. Familiar voices, Dean and Jet bickering about something as they entered the house. Sam frowned when he heard the chatter slow down for a second as Jet leaned over the couch just to mess up his hair._

"_Hey kiddo," Jet grinned down at him, "Napping on the couch?"_

"_No, just resting. Had a tough exam today." Sam sat up and fixed the mess Jet had made, staring blankly at the TV as if it were some excuse not to look up again._

"_For you? Doubt it." Dean dropped into the armchair and leaned back, his arms crossing behind his head. "Studying wears you out, not the test."_

"_Graduating on Tuesday, you excited?" Jet took his place next to Sam, getting just as comfortable as Dean._

"_That's next Tuesday?" Dean looked just as 'deer-in-the-headlights' as Sam had predicted. However he wasn't really noting that as important, what really got him was that Jet of all people remembered when it was._

_Sam looked at him, a little surprised, and nodded. "Yeah, Tuesday. Meeting at the school for the ceremony just after noon, it'll take a few hours after which we have an hour to get over to the community center for the dinner."_

"_Full day. I remember that," Jet looked over at Dean with a laugh, "Damn did we hate it. Running around in our monkey suits all frickin' day."_

"_God," Dean shook his head and laughed alongside his friend, "I almost ruined mine too, just about got into a fight with Michael."_

"_Douchebag."_

"_Damn right he was."_

_Sam smiled and relaxed, somehow the day just seemed a bit lighter._

* * *

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 4**

Sam sat down in his bedroom, the bed being the nicest most comfortable thing he'd ever seen, especially after the whole wasteland incident. He stared across the room though it didn't really feel like there was anything to look at. He'd had the journal far too long to not look at it again, he'd read the last entry the other him had made and that was it. Had they visited a world like this before? He couldn't really be sure until he read it. He lifted it from the back of his pants, having strapped it down with his belt, and turned it over in his hands a few times.

Whatever he'd read in there would undoubtedly change what would happen next, that was the entire point of giving him the journal to begin with, it had to be. If the celestials hadn't wanted them to know they'd never have given him the journal of the previous Sam.

On top of that, the other timeline, the corrupted one, it was supposed to be the main timeline, the one meant for all of the things they were facing. Did that make them second rate? Or just as good? Perhaps better… Sam had no idea, he had no answers and the more he tried to find them the more questions he realized there were. He opened the binding and started to read, past the first demoni, the raptoribus, aers, domus, and anima. He read through the portion of Dean's training, where the other him had sat with the other Castiel and Jet with the celestial beings. He found that while a lot of it was just exposition and descriptions of monsters there were some journal-esque entries, describing particular things that seemed odd to the other Sam. Entries where he'd speak to whoever would read the journal, describe a situation rather than a creature. Most of it lined up with what he'd experienced up until Dean's magical training.

The celestial beings described in that section of the journal were entirely different than the ones they had seen. There were no magical altering spaces to make them appear bigger, to change their voices, or even anything to hide their faces. The celestials were described to be as white as paper with absolutely no colourization to them. Their faces were as neutral as a human face could look, when their eyes were open those were as white as the rest of them, and they could stand as still as stone. The alternate Sam had originally mistaken them for three identical creepy statues. At least until they started to speak, voices that echoed throughout the room and even seemed multi-toned.

Sam stared at the description, reading it over and over again. Why were they different? Why were the celestials they met so different to the ones described in the original timeline? The ones that he knew wore the same white garments however they'd wrapped them around their faces and used hooded cowls to cover the rest. Their skin had pigment like any human and the three were different sizes, not at all the same. The voice thing was similar, but again it sounded more like the original voice had been scrambled and masked, like the different celestials were trying to mimic the original.

'_Even if the timeline resets and changes, the celestials should be the same. The people shouldn't change, so why did they? I wonder if this has something to do with the other timeline's Dean disappearing…'_ He remembered the last journal entry when Jet read it to them; it was strange and filled with holes. He read through it again.

_I'm still not sure how to tell when a day goes by in here or if it does at all, regardless we've been waiting on the mainline road for ages. I still can't believe he did it, what were you thinking Dean? Did you just let go? Was it so hard to just keep going? Take the chance? I guess maybe it was for you. Cas hasn't woken up yet; I don't think he will… Maybe I'm just losing hope in this mess. The magic surge that went through him was strong; I think some of it passed to Jet and I too… Was that you, Dean? I don't know why I'm writing this down, either. Maybe I think you'll read this some day Dean, if you're still out there. I'm done with it. The entire mainline went out, the fires have gone and nothing is moving anymore, not even the void. We're stuck, that's it… Can't even ask any higher powers for help, they didn't come back after that, Dean. You were right, it killed them. I guess immortal wasn't something they told us they were either…_

The Castiel in the other timeline had fallen unconscious. Dean went missing after claiming that _something_ would kill the 'higher powers.' _'He has to be talking about the celestial beings. So the Dean in the other timeline sacrificed himself? Why? To kill the celestials?'_ Sam thought frustratedly, reading it again just to make sure he'd gotten everything. He remembered after they'd first read through it Castiel had suggested that their group had killed the holy beings. Sam had denied it then, saying something must have resulted in their deaths but no, it didn't sound right. It sounded like Dean had killed them, like Dean died to do it. The text the other Sam wrote about the whole thing made it seem like it was obvious. He made Dean sound like a coward, he made it sound like Castiel had died, that some magical surge blasted through them all and it was obvious it had touched Jet and himself. Dean was right. Dean had had an idea that would kill them? Or he knew about the situation that would lead to it? All the things in that entry had to be connected. It sounded like the Dean had given up, but maybe it just looked that way to the other Sam. He knew that if his brother recklessly ran into sacrifice himself for something he'd be pissed, especially if they weren't sure it'd work. Sounded about right, he'd definitely question it despite it doing the job they'd needed it to do.

It made even more sense that Dean would do it, too. If they were in a situation that the death of one of them was necessary to save their lives, _Castiel's_ life, Dean would do it. Sam chewed on the inside of his cheek as he stared at the pages, wondering what could have led them there, what could have brought them to that point. The previous entries for several pages back were all monsters, nothing telling him why. Nonetheless he'd believe he found the answer to it, Dean sacrificed to kill the celestials, to save his family.

"Okay," He sighed out loud and laid back on the bed, holding the open journal above his face hoping maybe something would come to him. "Now why did Dean have to kill the celestials? What were they doing that was so wrong? Why would they try to hurt the rest of us?"

"You think too much sometimes, you know that?" Jet spoke from the doorway where Sam hadn't realized he'd entered.

Sam sat up and dropped the journal down beside him, letting it fall open to whatever page it wanted, "I guess. Am I keeping you up? Didn't know the walls were so thin."

"Nah, I couldn't sleep and went for a walk, heard you talking." Jet ran a hand up through his hair, "Mind if I sit?"

Sam shook his head and hopped over, letting Jet sit beside him on the bed, door closed behind him of course. The older male reached over and plucked the journal up and sifted through it without much of a word. Sam watched him and sighed, dropping backwards again. "I can't quite make sense of what happened…"

"Well no, all you'll have are guesses until we manage to see the celestials again to ask. Nothing in here is made to answer all your questions." Jet muttered as he came across a page that looked more like the last one. "Huh… 'The Prophesy'."

"The what?" Sam sat up and leaned over to look, resting against Jet's arm to prop himself up.

"The prophesy, the other Sam wrote about it here. _'We're in the world In Somniantes, the one that Cas said he was originally from. We came across another pair of priests; they told us that there was a prophecy, that one of the priests in the prophecy was supposedly meant to wake in In Somniantes. This obviously means that Castiel is part of something prophesied, I'll write it down once I get more.'_" Jet read it through, pausing to look at Sam who was already making grabby hands for the journal. He handed it over and let Sam read through the rest himself.

"'_The Prophecy; when the Void moves the High Priests will awaken. High Priest pairs wake one at a time; the first goes on to find their partner. The last pair of priests will be the strongest of all and bring about the end of the corruption. The first to wake from In Somniantes will wield magic higher than all; the last will wake from Aeterna and possess physical strength beyond all high priests.'_ So this prophecy even tells them where to find the priests?" Sam looked up at Jet who shrugged in return.

"I guess, looks like the world we came from was called Aeterna in High Priest-speak. The hell does that mean?"

"I think it means eternal," Sam murmured as he skimmed through the next entries, again they were monster descriptions. "So I need to tell Dean and Cas, this'll be really useful."

"Let's wait until after tomorrow, hm?" Jet stood up and stretched, "We're supposed to be relaxing."

"How can we relax when we know the world is danger? It all seems too laid back…" Sam closed the journal and put it down, knowing he'd pick it up to read again once Jet had gone. In fact, Jet had only been in there a few minutes, which was curious in itself. "Why are you in here, anyway?"

"I told you, went for a walk and heard you talking." Jet went back toward the door, only looking back at Sam once he'd opened it again.

"But why'd you only stay for a few minutes?" Sam couldn't think of a subtler way to ask, he was too tired and his brain felt dried out. "There's gotta be more you wanted to say."

Jet smiled in a way that made Sam even more confused. It wasn't a look he was used to and at the same time it was all too familiar. The expression was the same caring one he'd always given Sam, but the way he'd delivered it this time was different. "Get some sleep, we're hitting the beach tomorrow." Jet offered one more smile and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Sam looked at the time and sighed, knowing Jet was probably right, he would need to be rested for the next day. "What is going on? Everything's getting so messed up." He muttered to himself as he dropped onto the pillow, curling up and burying himself under the blanket.


	41. PMA: Make You Forget

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 5**

They had walked into their room and immediately Dean dropped onto the bed, burying his face into the pillows. "It's so freaking soft." He droned into the plush, silky material below him. Cas chuckled and sat down to rest by the window, staring out at the yard and landscape around them.

"These people really know how to live, huh?" He muttered mostly to himself, not really caring if Dean answered or not.

"I suppose," Dean sat up and smiled over at Cas. "I'm pretty happy with how we're doing it."

Castiel looked at him briefly with a smile of his own before turning back to the scenery below. It was an amazing view and truth be told, despite having seen so much already, Cas still enjoyed a good view. He smiled quietly to himself as he turned back to see Dean snuggling into the blankets. "Things have gone well for us so far," He said softly, getting up and walking over to the empty side of the bed. He hadn't shared a bed with Dean in centuries, Cas couldn't help but hesitate.

Dean hadn't missed Cas' behaviour, though. It was nervous, scared, excited, and a number of other little things Dean didn't care to identify. "What makes you say that?" He wanted to help Cas relax but not bombard him with 'I know you're worried' and crap like that. Instead he humoured the conversation.

"No one's died." Castiel said simply, daring to sit on the edge of the bed. He stared longingly at the pillow for a moment to collect his thoughts. He looked sad, like he always fucking did when thinking about his dead husband and it was driving Dean insane. He wanted to help, he wanted to make it all better and throw out all the problems he'd ever seen on Castiel's face. But he couldn't think of a damn thing to make it go away. He felt his limbs go tense for a moment as he watched Cas' features shift through countless emotions, he couldn't take it, hearing Cas think like that. Dean reached over and pulled Castiel into the bed next to him, holding Cas close and firm against him.

"Calm down, okay?" He whispered into the back of Castiel's head, closing his eyes against the soft, dark hair.

Cas shook a little; unable to pull away, not that he'd tried. He curled in on himself as Dean wrapped him up, "I'm sorry." He squeaked out the words like they were trying to stay in his throat. "I just..."

"You can't help it, I know." Dean gently massaged Castiel's side, petting down from his shoulder to his hip and back again. "You really loved him, after all this time you haven't stopped." Dean sighed softly and gave a light kiss to Castiel's neck.

"Does it bother you?" Cas' voice was barely audible as he swallowed past a growing lump in his throat.

"Not even a little." Dean continued to trail gentle kisses along Castiel's neck and shoulder, soft and unintrusive to keep the hormones and innuendos out of the mix. The last thing he wanted was to set Castiel off in a bad way. "It actually makes me love you more."

Cas relaxed a little and uncurled from his little ball. He turned his head and looked over Dean's face carefully. "Why?"

"It shows me how much you care, how deeply you can and I want nothing more than for that love to be mine."

Cas felt a warm tingling in his limbs and a familiar sting behind his eyes, "Dean..." He whispered hoarsely, rolling over to face Dean directly. Cas wrapped his arms around Dean and buried his face against the man who had done more for him than he'd ever thought possible. "It is." He managed to say it, to give Dean something he'd been choking on for what felt like forever. "I've been thinking about this, us, a lot. I've fought with myself over it for a while now."

Dean lifted Cas' face up so he could see it, "Fighting over it?"

"Yes," Cas swallowed again and laughed quietly, "I've had nightmares about him, he says things like 'how dare you forget me' and that I never loved him. I know why it's happening, it's because I've been letting it go. I'm falling in love again." Cas' lower lip trembled as he smiled up at Dean, "My memory of him is fighting me because I feel guilty, like I should never love another because it means betrayal. But that isn't true, I know that."

Dean recognized when Castiel was babbling but he didn't quite want to stop it just yet. Cas tended to let things out this way, to vent and eventually feel better about it. Dean didn't see any signs of a mental breakdown so he let Castiel breathe and find his footing again. "So your own mind is fighting back," he exhaled slowly and ran a hand through Cas' hair, carefully stroking it back. "How are the nightmares now?"

"Easier," Cas sighed and closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy Dean's touch. "I'm sorry if this is all too much for you."

"Not at all, Cas. Even if it were," Dean kissed Castiel's cheek and smiled at the little blush that bloomed there, "You'd be worth it."

Castiel laughed softly and leaned up to kiss Dean on the lips, holding it for as long as he could manage. Dean's arms felt stronger as they pulled in against each other, the air around them felt easier to breathe the closer they were, and Castiel knew he could just as easily lose time with this man. Dean didn't want the embrace end, melting into Castiel's kiss like it was life sustaining and all he'd ever need until the end of his days. However they couldn't keep it up forever, breathing did get a little heavier the longer their lips were locked. They pulled back, barely enough space for a real breath, looking into one another's eyes as they gasped. Skin still brushing over the other, eyes refusing to look away, Dean could feel it; deep in his core he could feel that Castiel was the one. It didn't matter what destiny said or the celestials telling him they were partners. Dean could see it all on his own and that's what really mattered.

"I love you, Cas." He wished there were stronger words for it but seeing Castiel's face he knew his partner could see it.

"I love you too, Dean. Forever."

They took to kissing again, an action they felt necessary, something neither wanted to stop. Their hands brushed over each other's bodies but nothing more than a subtle exploring touch. A passionate and moving make-out session that dissolved and slowed down in the twilight, it led to them sleeping nose-to-nose and wrapped in the arms of someone who loved them.

* * *

Commotion downstairs, loud speaking and laughter echoing throughout the halls, it was an unusual sound that startled them awake. Dean shifted in the bed, unused to sleeping with someone else and accidentally shoved Castiel nearly off the bed. Cas flinched and latched onto the sheets, luckily for him the other half was under Dean and acted as an anchor. He would have been angry about it but instead he crawled back into his spot and tried to nest there again. No luck for him that morning, Dean stretched out and as easily as knocking a poodle off the bed Castiel fell over the edge.

"Son of a bitch!" he cursed, glaring up at Dean's face that had appeared, shocked and completely startled at Castiel's outburst.

"What're you doing down there?" Dean asked sleepily, getting over his own sudden shock into waking.

"You knocked me off the bed, you asshole." Cas growled, swatting up at his partner who easily moved aside to dodge it.

"You should've held on tighter." Dean didn't skip a beat as he reached down to help Cas up.

Castiel tried to remain angry as his chest shook with laughter, "Shut up, dick." He took Dean's hand but instead of pulling himself up he yanked Dean down, the other priest tumbling and landing on him with a thud.

"Bitch!" Dean cried, grabbing a pillow and smacking Cas with it.

Downstairs Jet sat at the breakfast table with most of the other world group. He smiled at the family feeling the place held, like it was in a constant state of family gathering (and not the sucky kind). Castiel and Dean had an adorable dynamic together; the 'old married couple' fights they got into, all the way to their sweet loving moments, and everything in between. He loved seeing it. It was like a little light at the end of the tunnel, seeing what it could be like when everything was over. Granted it felt like it had just begun, there were countless worlds out there in need of cleansing and really Jet didn't see an end in sight.

Sam walked over and sat next to him, a long and drawn out yawn activating its contagious effect and causing a few others to do the same. "Morning." He rubbed at his eyes and slumped back in his chair.

Jet looked at him and rolled his eyes, "Sleep at all?"

"A bit." Sam smirked at him, "Got at least five hours, don't worry about it."

"Well that's actually not so bad," Castiel grinned from beside his husband as some others Sam and Jet didn't recognize set the table for breakfast. "Sleepless nights can make some of the best memories."

"Well it's not like I was partying." Sam furrowed his brow and looked down at the coffee poured for him.

The other Sam looked him over a moment before deciding on anything to say, "Sleepless nights can also be the nights you get the most work done. Did you find anything important out?"

"I did, actually." Sam and Jet exchanged a glance briefly, and though Cas wanted to infer that they'd done a little relationship discovery he could tell by their faces that that couldn't possibly have been the case.

"Like what?" He asked anyway, hoping maybe they were just too tired to show some kind of excitement over something.

"Like our mission is a lot messier than we thought." Jet took a sip from his coffee, letting his finger trace the polished material of the mug as he put it back down. "But don't let Dean and Cas know about it, okay? We'll tell them when our little vacation's over."

"You have my word," Cas nodded, glancing up toward the entrance as Tommy wandered in, bedhead and all. "My god, you woke up before two in the afternoon." He gasped playfully; cracking up at the glare his son gave him.

"You're one to talk, mom."

Jet chuckled, "Still not used to that."

Castiel smiled, "A lot of people seem to find it weird. I don't really care though, I like it." He ruffled up Tommy's hair as the young man walked by, furthering the angry look on his face. "Come on, don't be so sour about it. Today's a happy day."

"I'm working on it, give me like an hour and I'll be fine." Tommy groaned as he sat down, moving aside to let someone reach past him to put a plate down. "Thanks Auntie Bela." He yawned again, covering his mouth with the back of his hand

"You're welcome," She smiled and messed up his hair as well, giggling when he made the grumpiest sound.

Sam raised an eyebrow and looked over at his older self, 'Auntie' meant that she was either a sister to the other Castiel or, more likely, she was married to Dean's brother. "You're married?" He asked, his older self-turning to look at him.

"Yes I am, this is Bela and our son will be down shortly."

"Son...?" Sam repeated it a little awkwardly, "You have kids too?" He tried to ignore Jet's snickering but it was kind of hard when the other male was jabbing him in the side with a finger.

"His name's Charlie," The other Sam nodded, glancing up toward the stairs hoping maybe his kid would make an on cue appearance. No such luck of course. "Tommy's age, a few months younger."

"That's kind of crazy," Jet leaned back in his chair, an unmistakable smirk on his face, "Did you guys plan to have kids at the same time?"

"Actually it was a surprise on both parts," Cas laughed, "I wasn't human at the time and we didn't know I was fertile, and Bela just didn't tell Sam for a while."

"Weird coincidences." Sam muttered, fidgeting with the tablecloth.

"Kind of." Dean chuckled, wrapping his arm around Castiel, "Difficult period for us, I think."

"Just a bit." Cas leaned up and kissed his husband's cheek, "Nothing we couldn't handle though."

"Morning," a new voice called as he entered the room.

"Hey Charlie," Tommy yawned again, earning himself a smack from Castiel.

"Would you stop that?"

Sam looked over at the young man entering and going to his cousin's side, shaggy brown hair, taller than Tommy, and actually very attractive. Sam looked at Bela again, she was very pretty and he had to say her accent was cute. But he didn't know her; it was difficult to say whether or not he'd like her. Apparently he was flexible with whom he liked, Gabriel and now this Bela lady. Dean always seemed to end up with Castiel, like some kind of sign pointing them in the right direction. Sam couldn't help but wonder if that meant he wasn't meant for anyone or if he had more room to breathe. It didn't really matter, not as long as Dean and Castiel liked one another anyway.

Charlie looked over at the dimension traveller, immediately noticing the youthful image of his father's look-alike. Neither of them really felt the need to speak to one another though, they both knew that they weren't actually related and there was nothing between them. Charlie mostly looked for his own curiosity, what his father looked like around his age. Sam was looking for a similar reason, just to see the possibility of what his kid would look like.

"Good morning," Dean and Castiel emerged together, both priests smiling a little, very close to one another.

"Hey," Jet looked them over quickly; he nodded a little and turned to Sam with a shrug. "Not tonight."

Sam chuckled and grinned at his brother, "How'd you guys sleep?"

"Surprisingly well," Castiel sighed happily, sitting next to Sam, leaving a space empty for Dean to sit next to a stranger. "Yourself?"

"I got a few hours." Sam smiled, he wanted to talk about what he'd read already but he knew better. If he mentioned 'I'll tell you later' he'd get the demand from both Castiel and Dean to tell them immediately. Jet would also give him a good jab in the side for it, so he decided it was best not to even try. "Too excited about today I guess."

Cas' eyes scanned over his face and Sam felt the weirdest sense that his lie hadn't worked. Cas always had something about him, like he knew Sam better than Sam ever could know about himself. But all the same Castiel knew when to back off and not call him on it. "I get like that too, sometimes."

Dean, oblivious to his brother's avoiding commentary, clapped his hands in excitement for the breakfast spread. "Seriously? Before the beach? Not that I'm complaining, this looks awesome!"

"Well there are sports to play, sand castles to make, you don't have to swim immediately." Cas, the performer, all but rolled his eyes at the priest. "And you're welcome." he looked over at his counterpart, "Are all Dean's pigs with food?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Hey!" Both Dean's protested then looked at each other, not sure if they should stop while they were slightly ahead or to dig themselves deeper and continue the argument. Logic won out and they decided to shut up, not that either of them really identified with being a pig.

"Alright everyone, dig in. Sooner we finish eating the sooner we can get this day on the road." Castiel clapped his hands and the meal officially started. Morning chatter and discussions filling the room immediately, the dimension travellers all looking slightly surprised at the notion. Sitting down to a meal with family seemed strange to them and yet it looked so natural. And such a big group of people seated together without an argument in sight. Sure there were the odd insults here and there but they were evidently made in good fun.

Sam and Dean looked at one another, smiles etched onto their faces as they took in the scene before them. The four of them together seeing such a big family meal, it felt right and sat like a little beacon of hope for them; one day they'd be doing things like this on their own, with their own friends and family among them. It was a nice thought.


	42. PMA: Come On Get Higher

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 6**

Bright sun and warm weather met them as soon as the angels zapped them away; Sam squinted and adjusted his bag in a fidgeting motion that was somehow supposed to ease the shock. It didn't help much but he felt a bit more comfortable not standing in one place. He would never get used to immediate transportation no matter how often it happened. He glanced over at Dean who seemed to do the same, eyes narrow and looking around at the vastly open and empty beach. "Where is everyone?" Dean asked the question all four dimension travellers were thinking.

"We rented it out," The other Castiel exclaimed excitedly, already hurrying forward to set up their beach blanket. "It's our own little private beach for most of today."

"You can do that?" Jet gawked as the big family dropped off their things and started stripping out of the clothing they wore on top of their bathing suits. Despite having almost teleported there it still seemed appropriate to dress normally on top of the swim wear, who knew what could happen between point A and point B.

"Of course we can, we're famous remember? How many celebrities do you know that could buy an island if they wanted?" Gabriel rolled his eyes, shoving Jet in the shoulder as he passed him by.

Jet made a face at the shorter man but not enough to draw attention. It was a beautiful day; there were the perfect number of clouds to make the sky look like one of those classic photos on a Windows desktop. The water sparkled it was so clear, for the group that felt like they hadn't done anything fun in a long time it all but called their names. Despite it being early morning Dean threw his shirt off and dropped his pants without a second thought, dashing toward the water with his best friend right on his heels.

Castiel and Sam smiled at their comrades, both undressing but settling on one of the set up blankets next to the lead singer. "They're pretty excited." Sam mused, leaning back and letting the sun warm him a little. It was so inviting and really he wanted nothing more than to sleep on the beach.

"They're idiots, I think they forgot the rule about sunscreen." Cas chuckled as he grabbed a bottle.

"Good point, gimme some of that." Sam sat up and reached over for it.

Dean and Jet were a little busy squealing about how cold the water was as they dove in and tried to get it over with. Both emerged with chattering teeth, claiming it was the other's fault in the first place. Tommy grinned a little as he watched them, "Dad, are you really like that?"

The older Dean sat behind his husband and applied the sunscreen to his back for him; he looked up at the two goofing off immediately and nodded with a bit of a smile. "Yeah, though I don't know anyone like that Jet guy."

"Maybe not a bad thing," his lover added, "He seems to bring out quite the animal in you."

"I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic anymore." Dean leaned down and kissed Cas' neck.

"Bit of both." The singer giggled and turned his head to kiss back.

Cas watched them for a moment, his cheeks feeling an old but familiar burn. He shook his head and stood up, walking closer to the water as he cupped his hands around his mouth, "Dean! Jet! Get back here and put on some sunscreen!"

Sam smirked, he could remember when Castiel couldn't care less about Dean and Jet, or at least acted like it. Now here he was, shouting at them like a mother hen to get their damn sunscreen on. It had been a while since he'd seen Dean so happy and carefree, it made him smile, though Sam couldn't help but notice that Jet was still injured. The marks, scars and bruises were still fairly fresh if not a few days ago. He must've still been in pain, but of course Jet was never the type to show it. Sam supposed that maybe that was as good a sign as anything that Jet was fine, if his pain were obvious then maybe there'd be something to worry about. All the same he made a mental note to check in with Jet later.

The two did eventually come running, Dean lurching over and hugging Cas quickly before continuing on toward the towels. Jet was already starting to dry off next to Sam, who was fighting the urge to look at the way his friend's black trunks had slid a little lower on his waist. It wasn't too hard when his older brother all but charged him for the lotion, "You need to dry off a bit first, Dean!" Sam managed to call out as Dean wrestled the bottle away from him.

"Shut it, I know that." Dean grinned, "But I can't drip on you if I'm dry already."

"Asshole." Sam frowned with a bit of a pout mixed in with his bitch face.

Dean's grin only widened as he started to towel off, Jet taking the lotion from him as easily as he'd gotten it from Sam. "Me first."

Cas shook his head and laid down on the blanket, his swimwear matching Dean's since their coats came prepared. Sam and Jet had gotten extras from the other guys, mostly from Charlie's and the older Sam's things though, all four of them were around the same height and waistline as each other. Charlie and the dimension travelling Sam were tall but still thin, neither had filled out yet. Jet and the older Sam were sporting some extra muscle, wearing trunks that were too tight could serve the same purpose as string bikinis on women but Jet really didn't like that idea. He'd demanded that swim trunks should be tied tightly around the waist but mostly baggy for the rest of it. It made movement much easier.

Dean's on the other hand shaped to fit him, meaning it was a bit tighter but in all the right places for easier movement. No fabric to get in the way. It defied Jet's earlier commentary, regardless of how much he insisted his way was better. Cas admired Dean's body as he tried to dry off, glad for the uniform everything that the priests were expected to wear as he watched.

"Cas, help me put some on my back?" Dean smiled over at his partner who nodded and sat up again, motioning for Dean to sit in front of him.

While the two priests got in position to help each other Sam tried not to laugh at Jet who struggled to get the lotion in the middle of his back. "Shut up Sam! I've almost got this!"

"As if." Sam squirted a little on his hands and started rubbing it in, "Just ask for help when you need it."

"As if." Jet mimicked childishly through a smile he knew Sam would never see, it's what he was counting on.

"We should have just let you fry, I'd get to slap your sunburn for entertainment." Sam chuckled evilly.

"Guys I think Sam's possessed again." Jet looked over at Cas and Dean who started laughing, earning himself a smack to the back of his head. "Ow! See?"

Sam tried not to snicker but ended up bursting into laughter with Dean and Castiel. The sound was contagious and it'd been a while since they had.

* * *

As much as swimming seemed appealing in the summer weather, it was still fairly early in the day. Dean sat down next to Castiel and watched the others fool around and chatter amongst themselves. The four of them knew they didn't quite belong in the celebrations but somehow it didn't matter. It was a vacation on its own, with or without other people involved. Dean was just as happy to be doing something different with Cas, something where they weren't thinking of the fate of the universe. He liked seeing Cas domesticated a little, not battle ready and fighting for his life.

He smiled quietly to himself and reached across to take Castiel's hand in his own. His partner turned to look at their hands then back up to Dean's face. "Just wanted to," Dean explained to the curious blue eyes that scanned his every feature for some kind of explanation.

Cas gave a short little nod before looking back to the shore, watching water lick at the sand and retreat back like a playful child, "I'm glad." He all but whispered the words.

"For?"

"For you," Cas chuckled, squeezing Dean's hand firmly, "For someone who can see what they want and just reach out for it. You and Sam have always been like that."

"Cas!" Sam called to him from up the beach, a bucket and other supplies in his hands. "Just got some tools, let's build a castle." He hurried to Castiel's side and handed him a shovel, which the priest took and looked over curiously for a moment.

"Alight, I'll make a sand castle with you but we have to make it a competition." He smiled and looked up at Dean with a little glint in his eyes, "Dean and Jet versus you and I, best castle wins."

"You're so on," Dean stood and looked to where Jet had already been grabbing their supplies. "Yo, Jet! C'mere!"

"What's up man?" Jet jogged up to Dean's side where his best friend snatched the shovel from him.

"Contest, you an' me versus Cas and Sam."

"Oh, you guys are going down." Jet smirked and high fived Dean.

Sam rolled his eyes and looked to Castiel who was already moving to a good location. "So what do we get when we win?" He asked playfully.

Jet and Dean exchanged a look, trying to come up with something but Castiel beat them to the punch, calling over his shoulder, "Losers have to go streaking down the beach, winners get to watch."

"Get ready to get naked then," Jet scoffed as he and Dean found a good spot for their castle.

"You wish." Sam said mockingly.

The following few hours was a mess of sand, mud, and cursing as both sides tried their hands at making sand castles. None of them were particularly good at it, and it didn't help with Gabriel happened by and created a perfect castle with the help of some magic. Aggravated and frustrated Dean and Jet both took that time to run at Gabriel's sand castle and demolish it, destroying everything that pissed them off about it.

Sam and Cas buckled down and got their shit together, figuring out a good system for making sand stick. They broke their original castle down into a tightly packed mound of moist sand, forcing it together until they had one big block to work with. Sam moved to one side and Cas worked from the other, shaving thin layers away at a time, shaping and forming their design. Dean and Jet scoffed when they saw it in the early stages; to them it looked like Sam and Cas had gone backwards in their creation. Obviously buckets and shovels were the only and best way to make a sand castle.

The married couple, Castiel and Dean, walked over to see what their guests were up to, peering at the two castles with some interest, they went to Cas and Sam first. "What're you four up to?"

"Castle building contest," Sam smiled up at them, "Losers have to streak."

Castiel covered his mouth in a laugh and looked across to where Dean and Jet were furiously working away. "What're you basing the winner off of?"

"We'll need judges, you mind?" Castiel looked at his counterpart innocently.

"I'd love to, though I can already tell you who's going to win." The performer eyed the intricately shaped castle walls that Castiel and Sam were perched around. "You two found a bit a of a system, eh?"

"We're doing okay with what we've got. Some cement powder would have been nice." Sam joked lightly.

Cas and Dean nodded and moved to check out what the other pairing was up to, watching how quickly they were trying to move. "What's the hurry guys?" The singer tilted his head and eyed the childish but decently sized building Dean and Jet had constructed.

"Making castles." They muttered in unison.

Cas exchanged a look with his husband, glancing down the beach a little ways to see the other Castiel and Sam carefully working away at theirs. "Contest, right? What's the time limit?"

"Didn't make one." Dean and Jet looked at one another then turned to see how their opponents were doing.

"Son of a bitch!" Jet cursed and threw his shovel down, "Dude, look." He pointed toward the far superior castle. It wasn't quite as big but it was still crafted and detailed in a way that theirs just wasn't. "Cas are you cheating with magic or something!?" He shouted, getting the priest's attention.

"Even if I had some kind of useless spell that made my sand castles better, you have Dean, he'd be able to do something similar."

Dean took a deep breath and held it in his mouth to puff his cheeks out, blowing out the air as dramatically as he could. "I think we should just take our trunks off now, forfeit before this gets embarrassing."

"You just said 'let's just take our trunks off' in the same sentence as 'before it gets embarrassing', you know that?" Jet raised an eyebrow to his partner who threw his hands up in defeat. "Come on man, who knows, maybe we'd win because ours is bigger?"

"Not likely, do you look at ours and go 'whoa I didn't know you could do that with sand'? Because that's exactly how it's looking with theirs!"

"Don't yell at me! It isn't my fault you can't build a sand castle!"

Dean got up and shoved Jet a little, "You can't either, ass hat!"

"What, you wanna go?" Jet shoved back, Dean only retaliating with the same until their arms were locked and each was trying to shove the other down into the sand.

Cas looked up and nudged Sam a little, "Check it out, should we stop them?"

"Nah, they do this sometimes," Sam chuckled, "Just let it play out, ten bucks says they fall on their castle."

Cas shook his head; he wasn't about to take a losing bet, especially not with the two in question teetering so dangerously close to doing exactly that. And before he could reply to actually decline the bet, Dean and Jet had slipped and crashed into their pile of wet sand. Castiel snickered and stood up, "Looks like we win."

"Self sabotage, figures it'd be those two." Sam rolled his eyes and stood as well, walking over to where his brother and friend were wrestling like a couple of apes. "You guys done?"

Jet pinned Dean and grinned, "Looks that way."

Dean smirked and flipped them around, rolling Jet over and easily holding him face down into the sand, "Forgot I have super strength already?"

Jet groaned and tried pushing back though it did him no good, "Fucking jackass." He cursed with a laugh, "Alright alright, get off'a me." Dean obliged and slapped his friend on the back.

"Good effort."

"Still your fault, look at what you did to the friggin' castle?"

"Oh not this again," Cas moved between them, "Just get running boys, I want a show of it."

Dean and Jet exchanged looks, hesitating for a moment they begrudgingly dropped their trunks. Castiel smiled to himself as they booked it down the beach, running in a direction there were no people, no one said they had to run around the group they came with. "You're awful," Sam chuckled.

"A little bit, but hey, that just as easily could have been us."

"Yeah right, you've done some sand castle building before, haven't you?" Sam folded his arms over his chest, trying to find the simplest excuse as to why he shouldn't watch his brother and friend run naked down the beach.

"I've known some people who have done it before, may have picked up on a few things."

Torture and embarrassment over they decided it was time to get some swimming in. Another layer or two of sunscreen later they figured it was about time. Not that Dean and Jet intended to let the two winners just get away with it, they weren't about to allow Cas and Sam to ease their way into the chilly water. Dean hefted Cas up and, despite Castiel's struggling, carried him until it was too deep to hold him above the water anymore.

"Don't you dare!" Cas shrieked, holding onto Dean as tightly as he could, "Dean Winchester stop it!"

Dean chuckled and kissed Cas lightly, "Love you."

"DEAN!" The shrill scream almost echoed in the open space as Dean dropped down into the water, pulling Cas along with him. The two re-emerged pretty quickly, Dean with a grin and Cas with a sort of shocked anger that had his eyes open wide from the sudden cold. "Asshole!" He shouted, smacking Dean over and over again, only getting his partner to laugh hysterically at him.

Sam chuckled having enjoyed the spectacle, completely unaware that Jet had walked up behind him. "Kind of funny, huh?" Jet leaned over Sam's shoulder, warm, solid arms coming around in front and resting against his belly.

Sam jumped a little, the skin and muscles around his abdomen not used to being touched by someone else, they spasmed a little under the weight of Jet's arms. He was a little distracted, to say the least. Jet had never touched him like this or whispered in his ear from behind, it was strange and foreign. Not bad, he wouldn't say it was bad, but different all the same. "Jet?" He asked almost timidly, he was unsure of what was happening, what Jet was doing but mostly what was happening inside him.

Of course he got his answer a moment later, Jet lifted him up off the beach, a firm hold around his middle before he lifted Sam onto his shoulder.

"No no no no! Jet wait stop Jet no!" Sam babbled the words out though he knew that it wouldn't do him any good. Before he knew it Jet had thrown him into the water, a sudden blast of cold piercing him and shocking his system to the core. Sam threw his head up out of the water, taking a deep and shuddering breath, "You jackass!" he blurted out, rubbing the hair out of his eyes and pushing it back behind his ears.

"Yeah, who's laughing now!?" Jet cackled, Dean's laughter joining his almost immediately.

Sam and Castiel growled though it was all in good fun. "You're going to pay for that." Cas threatened, slapping Dean again for good measure.

"How?" Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel and hung off him, kissing his cheek playfully.

"Dunno yet, but some way, somehow you will pay."

"Right, well we'll be around when you figure it out." Jet winked at him before narrowly dodging Sam's swatting hand.

"Jerk, get back here!" Sam shouted, running after his harasser.

"Not a chance! You're gonna hit me!"

"Damn straight I am!"


	43. PMA: Loosen My Lips

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the month hiatus, had to finish up Jar of Hearts because writing two different things made my head hurt lol. We're back though so enjoy :D**

* * *

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 7**

The park was peaceful, as the large family of rock stars and other worldly beings set up the picnic the dimension travellers were able to relax. Dean sat next to Castiel under a large oak tree, smiling as he watched his partner do nothing more than pluck the grass around him. "You know," he started casually as Cas piled up the vegetation next to him. "I think that's a universal thing."

"Probably," Castiel chuckled softly, glancing up at the other priest for a moment before returning his attention to his piling. "Not that that's a bad thing, though. I like the idea that people across all time and space have something in common, even if it's as simple as pulling grass."

Dean smiled and looked out across the large grassy, hilly terrain. It was beautiful, the wind blowing through the few scattered trees and making a wave across the green foliage along the landscape. The sky was the perfect blue and had just the right amount of cloud cover. Dean couldn't remember the last time he'd seen such a perfect day. maybe it was the last time he'd been at a picnic, when they were celebrating the tenth anniversary with Bobby, Ellen, Jo, and Rufus. He missed them, he hadn't realized it much due to the unending peril they were put through, but he missed them.

"Cas," Dean trailed off, his tone a little sad, "When this is all over and we stop the void, what do we do?"

Cas let his gaze linger on Dean for several seconds before he looked back at the hills where he could see Sam climbing up to where Jet was lying. "We'll see when we get there, if nothing happens once the monsters are suppressed, if you, Sam, Jet, and I are all fine then we do whatever want."

"What do you want to do?"

"To live in a house, buy groceries, complain about petty things like how much I weigh..."

Dean laughed at Cas' list of mundane activities, "Weird how people who have to do all that crap wish life was more exciting."

"And the ones who can't want nothing more than to be boring." Cas snickered and looked over at Dean again. They shared a long, meaningful exchange without a single word spoken between them. Their gazes said a thousand more things and none of them were meant to be shared out loud.

Jet stared up at the clouds above him, arms folded behind his head, one leg crossed over the other, and a long piece of grass between his lips. He twirled it around, knocking it back and forth playfully, it was a good time to not think or do anything. He could sit there and spend his time contemplating their situation, the crap that had happened and was about to come, but what good would that do him? He had no more information in that moment than he'd had all day so why ruin a perfectly good time to be chill?

Sam walked up quietly, watching Jet as the other man turned his head casually, just looking at Sam once before looking back up at the clouds. "Hey Sam."

"Hey," Sam lowered himself down and leaned over Jet's face, a grin tugging at his lips, "What're you doing?"

"Playing that game, 'what shape is the cloud making.'" Jet smirked up at him, not at all fazed by the close proximity. Sam thought for sure he'd startle him or make him uncomfortable but no, he only did it to himself. It was weird being that close to him for some reason, Sam mentally shook the feeling off and lied down perpendicular to where Jet was. "You know I'd quote the Lion King if I could remember any of it."

Sam only scoffed softly at that, a light huff of air from his nose. "The last time I was part of a picnic we were at the cemetery..."

"I know." Jet said after a moment of silence, he rolled his head to see the top of Sam's, that mop of brown hair almost close enough to tickle his nose. Either that or it was the grass, either way it was a kind of funny angle. "You miss them? Home?"

"Sam tilted his head back, an upside down view of Jet's mostly neutral expression. "Sort of, I mean we grew up there and they were really good to us, helped raise us and everything. Yeah I miss them, but I'd much rather be here with Dean."

Jet grinned and looked up again, "Same, you and Dean are my best friends."

"If I'd have stayed back, would you have gone with?"

"No, of course not." Jet shook his head and turned to smile at Sam again, and that weird little feeling came back. It wasn't exactly bad just strange, and this time it was amplified just a touch, enough for him to notice the sensation of butterflies fluttering in his stomach. "And not just because Dean would ask me to take care of you."

Sam didn't know why Jet felt the need to add that part but it made him smile all the same. Like he was special in some way, that Jet wasn't _just_ his older brother's best friend. "Thanks."

"You're welcome? I didn't do anything."

"Shut up." Sam sighed and closed his eyes, starting to relax about the fluttering in his stomach that reached up to his chest.

"Hey!" Castiel called to them from down the hill, "Food's ready, let's go."

Jet lifted his legs up and with the assistance of his back and abdomen muscles launched himself onto his feet without having to use his hands. He took the grass from his mouth and tossed it to the side as Sam stood and walked up next to him. "Think you're cool or something?"

"All the time, Sam." Jet grinned and started running down the hill, gaining enough momentum that when he caught up to Dean and smacked the back of his head it actually did something. He laughed as he continued on past, "C'mon Winchester!"

"OW!" Dean exclaimed loudly and immediately ran after his friend, "Get back here you obnoxious dick!"

Sam smiled, "I don't think Jet gets that he can't outrun Dean or out punch him."

"I think he knows." Cas chuckled, watching as Dean tackled Jet before they reached the picnic table.

The food was good and the company more than welcome, it wasn't only peaceful but it seemed to be therapeutic for Cas. He showed no signs of a mental breakdown and physically he appeared much better. A day off really was what he'd needed, just some time to sit with his family, wipe potato salad off his face, and drink water to help swallow something when he'd eaten too much too fast. And all the while Dean was right there with him, rubbing a tidbit of food from his nose, and patting him on the back as he half choked. Castiel couldn't have asked for a better mini-vacation from destiny.

The following few hours were meant to be spent however they wanted, some ran around the park, some flew off to do something on their own, some even went to take naps under the trees. Castiel sat looking at the different items the group had brought with in case someone got bored, the bright colours of a Frisbee caught his eye and he removed it from someone's bag. He could remember the few times he'd played with a Frisbee with his husband and Sam, before he'd gotten sick. It was a fond memory, he'd had so much fun.

Dean walked up behind him and hung off his shoulders, leaning over his back to peer at the object in his hands, "You wanna play?"

"Oh? Well I-" Cas wasn't given the opportunity to answer properly, Dean had snatched the bright plastic disc from him and started to pull him along behind.

"Come on," Dean smiled at him and Cas couldn't resist, he returned it with his own smirk and picked up his pace to walk next to Dean. "Yo! Sammy, Jet! C'mere!" Dean called out, waving the Frisbee back and forth to push his point across. It seemed to do the trick too because they were on their way over, it turned into a minor race but Jet won in the end. They were still a good distance away but Jet threw his hands up.

"Dude! Throw it!"

Those were the words that started the game, it wasn't that competitive but it did the trick to get them moving. There couldn't really be a winner or a loser, though Sam and Cas were very entertained at the number of times they made Dean or Jet sprint across the field because the Frisbee had gone out a little wider than they'd expected. Apparently they underestimated the abilities of their partners.

Evening fell and everyone meandered toward the lit up gazebo that one of the others had set up for the night. The lights were brilliant, the rest of the park was entirely dark and the fact that they were next to a decently sized pond only made it all look that much prettier. A dance floor had been set up and music played softly into the surrounding area. Dean couldn't help but smile as he watched the lights flicker on the water's surface, from where he was he could see Castiel's reflection and all the glow in the area around him made it look like he was some kind of an angel all his own.

"Everyone has to dance tonight," The lead singer insisted that evening, everyone would have to dance at least once. Dean and his travelling companions weren't exactly in the dancing mood, per se, so they thought that maybe they'd get away with sitting quietly and watching. They had really tired themselves out during their Frisbee 'match' and each was hoping they'd be able to sit it out, you know, since they weren't really part of the big family.

They under estimated the stubbornness of the other Castiel.

Dean was really enjoying the evening, sure the music wasn't exactly to his liking but everyone else seemed to love it, even his other self. Jet was slumped in his chair, head hung back and arms dangling at his sides, his long legs stretched out in no particular way in front of him. Sam sat with his elbow on their table, his cheek resting on it as he watched the dancers with a quiet appreciation, some of them were really good. Castiel had a similar expression on his face except part of him really wanted to ask Dean, of course he hesitated which gave an opening for the other Cas to pop up next to them.

"You guys are seriously missing out, and because you've spent the whole night doing nothing I'm going to force you onto the dance floor." He smiled wickedly and pulled on his counterpart. "Up you get, you and Dean are partners, Sam you're with Jet."

"For what?" Jet lifted his head up, one eyebrow raised curiously.

"A contest, you four will compete to see which team did it better." Cas hauled the priest out of his chair and off to the dance floor.

Dean smiled a little and shrugged, "Well might as well go along with it, right?"

"I guess." Sam glanced at Jet sheepishly, not sure if he should be excited or worried. But Jet had this smile, one that made him want to trust whatever outcome might be the result of their attempt.

They hadn't expected the grandiose tactics that this other Castiel liked to employ, the dance floor transformed from a make-shift gazebo space to a full on ballroom sized spectacle, the gazebo itself had seemingly grown larger though from the outside it didn't look any different. Dean snorted back a laugh, "Kinda like Doctor Who."

"Doctor what now?" Cas looked at him, brow furrowed.

"Uh... never mind." Dean took Castiel's hand and led him to their supposed side of the room, "You know how to dance?"

Cas shrugged, "You saw me on stage with the other me, right?"

"Yeah," Dean smiled and gave Cas' hand a squeeze, "But I mean not copying, you'll have to keep up."

"Shut up, Dean. I can do it just fine, you'll just... have to lead." There was a light blush on his cheeks, it was subtle and barely there but Dean could see it. "I mean... you've danced before right?"

"Sam and I were signed up for dance stuff as we grew up, Ellen had signed her daughter up for it and figured there was no harm in adding Sam and I." Dean laughed as he pulled Cas closer, "For some reason we were totally cool with it."

"Weird, considering how macho you see yourself now." Cas giggled, the blush deepening.

"Hey now," Dean's voice was soft and so intimate, he loved watching how dark the red could get in Castiel's cheeks.

Sam and Jet stepped over to their side and looked at one another, they were a good few feet apart and the awkward feeling started to set in. Jet glanced over at Dean and Cas and saw how close they were already, "Shit... we're goanna lose this one."

Sam turned to look and frowned, "Do you know how to dance, Jet?"

"I'm pretty good at solo stuff but I've never danced with someone else." Jet shrugged and tried to loosen himself, he didn't expect Sam to grab his arms and take charge. They were basically the same height so it wasn't awkward, actually Sam had gotten a bit taller. Jet hadn't noticed before but now it seemed so obvious, Sam's body had decided to continue growing which wasn't all that uncommon. Some guys were only done after they turned 25. "What are you-"

"You don't know how to lead so I will," Sam smirked at him, "You got a problem with that?"

Jet face was a little tense but he shook his head, "No, I guess not."

"Good, because I'm not letting my brother take this without a fight." Sam looked back over at Dean competitively and it just made Jet laugh.

The first song that played over the speakers sounded old school and Dean recognized it as a song by Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Upbeat and something they could swing to, immediately the two brothers led their partners, Dean had a bit of trouble at first but Castiel picked up the rhythm and steps fairly quickly. They looked at one another with awe as they danced and moved together as one person. Their relationship as partners of the Faith probably had something to do with it but Dean didn't see it that way, they really were a good pair. Sam and Jet on the other hand weren't exactly in any formation but that didn't make them bad, just different. Sam would lead but Jet had his own ideas, more of a spontaneous type than the one that'd follow a set of rules. Sam knew that leading Jet wouldn't be easy so instead of stubbornly trying to force his friend to do the steps he expected, he altered his own to match. It wasn't so much as one of them led the dance, they just flowed together.

The more the seconds passed the less Sam could focus on the competition, on beating Dean. He started to realize the brown eyes watching him weren't going to look away, that the smile on his dance partner's face was there for him, and that the more they danced the more it seemed like Jet had been in control the whole time. Sam could feel his heart beating rapidly, a shorter breath every now and then as their bodies pressed against each other. He could feel it, the subtle ways Jet would angle himself just enough to lead Sam or follow Sam's lead. He could _feel_ the motion of another person's body like he hadn't ever done before. He'd danced with people, sure, but it never got to him like this.

The intimacy between Dean and Castiel had grown to the point where they didn't notice anyone else around them. Eyes locked as they circled and moved around one another. Dean was intoxicated with the baby blues that looked just as intense as the day he'd first seen them. Piercing into his mind and soul with a simple glance, Dean remembered the way it had scared him then and it was almost funny. He'd been frightened by how strong Castiel was, just sitting there on the town's commemorative statue Dean could feel it from across the street.

There was more than just the one song, of course. The first being so upbeat and fun, easy to get into, the next had been chosen as a more classical, slow dancing kind of song. One where there really had to be a dominant figure in the team to carry it properly. They remained steady in who would lead, Sam and Dean respectively, but that didn't make Sam any less nervous about it. He'd grown up with Jet around, a loud, obnoxious and opinionated jerk who was best friends with his older brother. But at the same time Jet had also been caring, protective, and selfless; Sam had no idea how he felt about being the lead in their dance anymore. He'd never seen Jet follow anyone's instructions, he didn't play that role very easily and yet here he was doing exactly as Sam needed him to do. Maybe that was more of what he was doing or how he saw it.

Sam knew what the fluttering feeling in his chest was, what most people would say it meant, but he couldn't trust that could he? Just assume that maybe he had different feelings for Jet other than as a good friend? Sam had known him so long, Jet used to call him things like 'kiddo' and 'squirt,' had helped Dean clean him up when he was extremely sick, and would pick him up and throw him into cold water over his shoulder. Sam swallowed as the memory of just earlier that day came back, the shiver running through his body when Jet put his arms around him. It had been a warm and steady pressure that he hadn't experienced before. But Jet had thrown him in the water, it hadn't meant anything different to him, had it? Sam was sure that Jet was the type of person who would say so if he liked someone, he hadn't mentioned it to Sam so why would he assume differently? But did that mean that Sam hadn't felt that shudder at Jet's touch? Did he like Jet-

No, it was just a surprise, he hadn't felt anything different than normal Jet just surprised him. Sam decided firmly that it was nothing more than an admiration for his friend. He'd seen part of Jet's past in his mind back in the other world, he'd witnessed Jet's self-sacrificial thoughts for Sam's safety, the only reason he was feeling this way was because he'd gotten a bit closer to Jet. That was all.

"Getting a little stiff," Jet whispered in his ear, the heat of his breath making the hairs on Sam's neck stand up. "What's up?"

Sam exhaled to try and ease his nerves and shake off the way his skin had started to prickle up. "Sorry, guess I'm concentrating too hard." he replied softly, only now noticing that they were chest to chest. It had startled him, to feel the muscle in his friend's abdomen moving. He tripped up and was about to slip but Jet immediately took over and swung him down into a dip instead.

"You sure?" He looked concerned now and Sam wanted nothing more than to get some air.

"Maybe I should lie down." Sam stuttered out, and when Jet had pulled upright again he hurried out of the gazebo.

Dean and Cas had basically been holding one another as they spun around the dance floor, it was a beautiful sight, so simple and flowing that they hardly seemed to put an effort into it. But when Dean saw Sam all but running away he had to stop it. "What happened?" It was his big brother tone and it was aimed at Jet who shook his head and followed Sam out.

"No idea, but I'll find out."

"Well you're both winners," Castiel, the singer, clapped for them and motioned for everyone else to get back out there instead of just watching. It wouldn't do any good to let the evening spoil, so he took his husband's hand and led him out to dance with everyone else, a little something for old time's sake.

"Sam?" Jet called out into the darkened park, seeing Sam's figure standing out by the pond's edge. "Hey, you okay?"

"Can you leave me alone, please?" Sam didn't look at him and his tone was distant.

Jet frowned but continued to approach anyway, "Can't do that, Sam, you know that." He crossed his arms over his chest as he stopped a little ways to Sam's right, he wasn't encroaching on personal space but he wasn't about to leave either. "So you might as well tell me what's up."

Sam was quiet and he shook his head, "No, I can't talk to you."

Jet tensed as his anger bubbled but he did his best to keep a lid on it, "What the fuck did I do?"

"Nothing. I just can't tell you." Sam sighed and ran his hand up through his hair.

"...Want me to get Dean? Or Cas?"

"I want to be alone."

"I'm not leaving you alone out here, Sam. Tell me which one to get or you're stuck with me." Jet spoke so non-chalantly but Sam could hear it, it was faint and barely there but Jet sounded so hurt from what Sam could make of it. He didn't say anything and Jet started to fume next to him. "Fine, I'll get both." He started to walk back toward the structure, "Stay there."

Sam didn't move but that didn't make it any easier to deal with the gross feeling in his chest. He was regretting it but the confusion started to really weigh on him, why did stupid emotions and feelings have to get in the way? Jet had always been an awesome friend, what was this?

Before he knew it Castiel had walked out to him, Dean stayed back by the gazebo with Jet. "Sam?" Cas placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and moved to look at his face. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I don't know how to explain it, Cas." Sam sighed and rubbed his eyes again, tears starting to well up and no amount of rubbing would make it stop. Castiel's way of addressing him had changed so much since they'd met, his tone was far more caring too and it only made him feel that much more confused as to how he saw Jet. Maybe they really did just feel closer and that was scaring him.

"Did Jet say something?" Cas started to guess considering he had nothing else to go on. Sam shook his head. "Okay, did he hurt you by accident?"

"No... Jet didn't do anything."

"Then why are you mad at him?"

"I'm not bad at _him_." Sam sighed angrily, "I'm not mad! I'm just... I'm so confused, Cas. He's been like a second older brother to me, he helped take care of me and he's been a best friend and I just... I don't understand what's going on. He would tell me if I meant anything more than a friend to him, wouldn't he? I know that but the way he touched me before... I know it was just to throw me into the water but I felt..."

Cas smiled and gave Sam a hug, "Calm down, I know it can be scary but there's nothing wrong with it. You don't know how you feel about him, right?"

"Yeah..." that about summed it up.

"Well you can't push those things, your feelings can be complicated and since you've known him for so long it could really take a while for you to figure it out. Whatever they end up being I want you to remember that no matter what he'll always be there, he's your friend and he's your family okay?" Cas rubbed Sam's back and leaned away, grinning at the little smile on Sam's lips.

"Okay, thanks Cas."

"No problem, no go over there and tell him you're sorry."

"I hurt him, didn't I?"

"He's a little upset," Cas pinched his fingers to indicate the level of emotion on that one but Sam knew he was being kind about it.

"Right, I'll get to him." Sam sighed with a laugh, "Thanks again Cas," he leaned forward in a hug again, squeezing Castiel gently before running up to the gazebo. Jet was standing off to the side with Dean, arms still crossed and looking a tad pissed off. That was normal for him though, his neutral face usually looked kind of mad. "Jet?"

He looked up, a glimmer of something Sam couldn't quite pinpoint but he decided not to focus on it. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah," Sam went to him and wrapped him a hug too, surprising him enough that he hadn't quite managed to uncross his arms. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have treated you that way."

"Hey, it's okay." Jet wriggled his arms free and put them around Sam in return, it was a strong hug like always but Sam noticed it felt a little more timid. "We're cool, alright?"

"Okay," Sam grinned as he looked at Jet again, that ugly feeling gone and the look of pain faded from Jet's face.

Dean and Cas looked at each other and smiled, clearly they could see something the other two were missing.


	44. PMA: Faith and Desire

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks for the reviews you guys, I'm glad to see a few faces have returned after my month away. Sorry for that again ^_^; Still feel a little bad. However hopefully the writing gets better from here on out. (as 90% of that sentence was spelled wrong...)**

* * *

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 8**

They decided to spend the night again, why waste a perfectly good bed when they'd just spent the entire day 'relaxing'? Castiel hit the pillow hard, curling up in the sheets without much to say as sleep overtook him. Dean wanted to join him more than anything but he felt he couldn't just drop to sleep without saying something. He slipped out of the bedroom and went over to where the other Castiel sat in the living room. It was another large-scale room and Dean just couldn't get used to the grandiose preferences of this man.

"Cas?" He asked as he entered, smiling a little when the ex angel glanced up from a book.

"Ah, other-Dean, how's it going?" Cas grinned at him, still a beautiful thing to see; aging had been very kind to him.

"It's good, I just wanted to thank you for everything today, we really needed it." Dean's nerves were tingly and he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, he couldn't explain why this Castiel made him nervous but he did. Maybe it was because he was an actual rock star, a famous celebrity that everyone loved and adored. Maybe it was because this Castiel had children, another Dean's children.

"You're welcome, I noticed you guys are still pretty, well, uptight, but I'm sure there's a reason for it. I've never had the fate of the universe on my shoulders but I'm sure there's someone out there who can relate to you."

"Well there is, my Cas is kinda in the same situation." Dean laughed, wandering a bit closer. "But you probably meant a different world version of us, huh?"

"Yeah, kinda." Cas chuckled and put the book down, "You all are very close."

"Well we've gotten pretty tight knit over the last little while, but I don't think we're as close as we could be." Dean shrugged and looked around the room as he tried to find something to occupy his hands or mind. Why was talking to this guy so hard? He was just Cas.

"How close do you think you could be?"

Maybe because he used to be an angel? No, he'd met a fallen angel before. Or perhaps because he was much older? No, _his_ Cas was centuries old too. "I don't know, I just get the feeling that Cas and I could be better. I'm pretty new to this priest thing and he's been at it for a long time so we're not exactly in sync yet." he paused and pointed at Cas, "And not the boy band!"

"No worries, wasn't gonna go there." Castiel smirked as he lifted his hands in defense, "Regardless though I don't think it's something that can be measured. You four are very close already, yeah there are some kinks to work out but that's where all the fun is. Getting to know one another more intimately, seeing something you'd never seen before and discovering your friends and family for who they really are. You grow with them, you change with them and _that's_ where life happens. It's not where you end up, Dean."

Dean had heard those kinds of things before, in movies and stories and whatever else that would ever say the words 'it's not the destination, it's the journey.' But when he heard it from someone as old as this Cas, as this angel turned human, it felt like it meant more. "Thanks Cas," Dean smiled at him and turned back toward the hall, "I'm going to hit the hay, we'll probably be leaving first thing so if I don't see you later-"

"Enjoy your time with them," Castiel gave him a little wave, "It's been great having you here."

Dean waved back and went to the stairs, he glanced over and saw Tommy, the offspring of him and Castiel. It was still so weird to see him, "Hey," he called out to him but wasn't quite sure why. Maybe he felt somewhat like this kid's distant dad or something and knew that leaving without a word was pretty much the worst thing he could do.

Tommy looked over at Dean and gave a short wave, he was on his way out the door. "Hey."

"Where you going this late?" Dean furrowed his brow and walked to the front door.

"Home, we live in the estate that's just down the road over there. Mom set it up, I guess he just really likes keeping everyone close." Tommy shrugged and finished slipping on his shoes, "You guys are going?"

"Tomorrow, yeah." Dean still felt weird, he figured that the whole 'having a kid' thing was probably the reason. Granted Tommy wasn't his or anything, but still. It was hard to shake off. He wasn't sure if he wanted a kid, even if he did they'd have to adopt and it was just a mess of thoughts and feelings he didn't want to get into.

"Cool, probably won't see you again." Tommy seemed so nonchalant about it, like it didn't matter. Dean figured that it probably didn't but the kid didn't have to make that so obvious. "Have fun with the saving the world stuff."

"Yeah, you have fun with whatever it is you're doing."

Tommy gave a short wave before heading out. Dean hung his head and ran his hand through his hair, "I'm not good with kids..." Though that had probably been his problem; Tommy was very close to his age and he was treating the guy like a little kid. Yep, that was definitely why they didn't get along better. Dean trotted up the stairs and crawled into bed next to Castiel, wrapping his arms around his partner and letting sleep claim him.

* * *

**Mainline**

Cas stretched as he stepped onto the familiar road, feeling so much better. "Okay, onto the next one."

"Hold up," Jet stepped forward, glancing over at Sam as he drew the attention of the two priests. "Sam and I found something out after reading the journal."

Castiel felt that wave of stress coming back, he didn't like the sound of Jet's tone. "What did you find?"

"Something about a prophecy," Sam took the journal out and flipped it open to the bookmarked page, "The other me wrote about it here." He handed it over to Cas' outstretched hand, feeling much better now that he'd managed to share the information. Sitting on it for a whole day didn't feel right.

Castiel read over the entry slowly, his expression getting tighter the longer he read, Dean walked up behind him and read over his shoulder. They looked at one another part way through, neither sure of what they were reading.

Sam held his breath for a second and exhaled slowly. "When the Void woke up so did the High Priests, within the pairs priests wake one at a time and find their partner. The last pair of priests to find one another are meant to end this whole thing. The first was supposed to wake from In Somniantes and the second from Aeterna, one is unsurpassed in magical ability and the other in physical power."

"If we go to the world In Somniantes we'll meet another pair of priests," Jet explained as they read through it again for good measure. "I think that should be our next stop."

"This is..." Cas was at a loss for words, his eyes skimming over the words again and again. "I don't know what this is but it can't be right."

"Why not?" Jet pushed it, "Your magic is crazy awesome right? Why is it so hard to believe?"

"Because I've never seen another priest before, where are all of them if not on the mainline?"

Sam and Jet looked at one another for a second before Sam turned his gaze back to Cas, "Well... the timeline reset, right? You and Dean would have been the last ones to wake up the very first time, which means those priests could have moved on down the road long before you woke. What if when it reset those priests weren't affected and they had to wait for us to catch up?"

"No, that doesn't work." Dean shook his head, "The corrupted timeline is still around and there were other versions of all of us, this entire mainline and all the worlds were reset, meaning the priests that would have woken up in some of them would have also gone back to the start."

"But I'd almost guarantee that our timeline is different," Sam insisted firmly, "Maybe this time they had to wait longer? Cas did say he was looking for his partner for centuries didn't he?"

"Let's just go to it," Jet interrupted and looked at Cas, "Where's the world you came from?"

Castiel shook his head, "I don't want to go there."

"Cas, we have to." Sam went to his side and touched his shoulder soothingly. "It'll be okay, we're right here with you."

Castiel looked worried like someone was about to murder a puppy in cold blood. He looked at all of their faces, Dean's looked just as comforting as anyone's. He knew that they had to go, to meet these other priests, to find a way to end everything. But him? Part of a prophecy? He just couldn't see it. "We'll go, but just so I can prove to you that it's wrong." Cas really didn't want to but he knew it was necessary.

"So where is it?" Dean looked around, "Can you tell?"

"I know exactly which one it is," Cas walked to the edge of their walk way and looked down into the darkness where that one world had been almost consumed. It was at the edge of the void and still falling. "Remember when I told you we'd never go there?" He looked at Dean who was staring at it a little differently now than before.

"You're from that one? What happened?"

"What does it look like happened? It's been so deeply infected by the void that it's broken away from the mainline and slowly being eaten away." Castiel's cold demeanor had returned, his eyes angry as they watched the slow flicker of its fire turning on and off. "You won't like what we find there, it'll be dangerous too."

Dean knew that holding onto the others meant nothing but he took Sam's hand anyway, "Let's get going then."

Castiel nodded and leapt off without another word, Dean taking Sam with him and Jet left to take the leap on his own. It was a scary fall and the world looked much closer than it actually was. Dean's heart was in his throat as they drifted through the darkening mist around them. He could feel it, the void was desolate and gave an aura that could only be described as the worst things humanity could ever experience. The anger, frustration, rage, heartbreak, sadness, and all the negative emotions boiling in someone came up to the surface, seeped through their skin and to their core. Dean felt disgusting as they finally landed on the piece of the mainline that was still jutting out as a platform. His stomach did flip-flops and his chest ached with every thought and second that passed. "Cas, what is this?"

"This is the start of the void." Castiel frowned and looked over at Sam and Jet who had both frozen up, it had become hard to breathe and their bodies just wanted to quit. "I think it's too much for them, I don't know if we should take them with us."

"We should go," Sam wheezed but it wasn't exactly convincing of his argument.

"No," Castiel raised his hand and their bodies started to float, a light glowing faintly around them, "The mainline will draw you back to it, stay right where you are and don't move once you reach it." He called after them and looked over at Dean with a shake of his head. "I didn't know what the void would do to normal humans, I don't want to risk them."

"Good plan," Dean watched until he saw his little brother reach the road safely again. "Let's go."

Castiel bit his lip as he looked at the world, not wanting to enter again but he forced himself anyway, Dean following right behind.

Sam glared down at the hazy blackness below, "This is bullshit!"

"It's better this way." Jet crossed his legs and leaned back, his arms behind him to support his weight. "We have no idea what it'd be like in there, as much as I want to hear what happens first hand I don't think we should go."

"But the other me had been there to hear the prophecy himself! Why can't I do the same?" Sam was pretty livid.

"It's probably like you said before, it's different. The journal didn't give any hints about In Somniantes being demolished or in the void, he would have commented on what that shit felt like." Jet shook his head, "No, I think this is best."

Sam was mad but there was nothing he could do now, he dropped down next to Jet and sprawled out on the mainline. "Do you think they'll be back soon? How does that time thing work?"

"I'd bet for us it'll be any minute now," Jet grinned at him, "The time in the mainline is faster than the time in the world's right?"

"I guess so... Cas did say that a long time in a world meant no time on the mainline..."

"Right, so when they get back we can't be pouting." Jet nudged him a little and hopped a bit closer to the edge to look down at the world's entrance again, hoping he'd see them any second.


	45. In Somniantes: High Priest Michael

**Author's Note:**

**I managed to keep five readers! I can go and look at the reviews and I recognize you all XD So casdean185, Countess Impossible, ChickieG, Gustin azza, and PurgatoryHangout I bow to you, thank you all so much for sticking with this story. And the others who may end up reviewing someday I thank you as well, yes, you over there in the future.**

**I renamed the chapters because I was getting confused as to what happened in which one when I needed to reference it and now they should all make sense again ^_^ No more song lyrics, well aside from PMA but that one makes sense right?**

**Also more exposition ahead, sorry XP**

* * *

**In Somniantes: Part 1**

Dean opened his eyes to see a world straight out of Inception. Parts of the town he stood in were bent and twisted, land and buildings and all kinds of things were suspended mid air like in a permanent state without gravity. Every now and then things would start to move again, up, left, right, down, it didn't matter they'd just move like being blown away. But then time would almost freeze again, it was like everything vibrated, like a flicker in time. Dean looked around him, the sky was clouded over but it was daytime, there were no people around and if there were they were just as frozen as everything else.

It had that same disturbing feeling as the space outside of the world, and from what Dean could see the sky was slowly being eaten way into a black cloud. He knew it was part of the void and that thought terrified him, to know that if he stayed there long enough he'd been consumed just like the rest of the world. "Cas?" He called loudly, hoping that his partner wasn't too far off this time. "Castiel!" He kept shouting but there was no answer, Dean growled at his luck and started running through the crumbling street. The roads were in ruins like the ones back in his home world had been before Castiel showed up, people were scattered all along the landscape some living, most of them dead. Dean didn't want to see it, he really didn't. This was the world where Castiel had to kill the love of his life, this was the world where its Sam died. Dean didn't like it, the added pressure from the void as it encroached on the world didn't help but he really felt sick to his stomach.

"CASTIEL!" He tried scream again, this time there was a reply.

"Who's there?" An old familiar voice called out but Dean couldn't quite place it. A man walked around a building, his body draped in the same blue material Dean wore, a sword on his hip and that look in his eyes that reminded him of Castiel.

Dean stared at him for a few seconds, faces he remembered running through his mind until he recalled someone from high school. "Michael?"

"So you know me," This clearly wasn't the same stuck up dick Dean know from school, this was a different version of him but it was still him. Dark hair, sharp eyes, and about his size. He looked Dean over quickly and lifted his hand away from the hilt of his sword, "You're a high priest? Where's your partner?" His tone wasn't threatening but it had a certain air about it, like he meant to say more but held back.

"When we enter worlds we don't always end up together." Dean scratched the back of his head sheepishly, somehow that felt kind of childish and silly in front of another priest. What if it was just their group that did that? "So he's not here."

Michael nodded and folded his arms over his chest as he started to walk toward Dean. There was nothing particularly hostile about his posture, "That does happen..." he mumbled like it was the biggest nuisance of his life. "Did you wake in this world?" He asked suddenly, looking hopeful, stepping closer until he was basically right in front of Dean. "Are you the last priests?"

Dean didn't know how to answer that, they'd just heard about it and now here someone was asking him. It could be related to the fact that they'd gone looking for someone who knew, but still Dean wasn't ready for the Q and A. "I'm... My partner woke here, he found me not too long ago."

Michael stared at him, looking him over closely before furrowing his brow, "You don't look like much... though I guess none of us really do. Which one are you? The magical one or the physical one?"

"Physical I guess." Dean shrugged, he kind of liked this Michael. He wasn't being condescending or a jackass, he was just asking questions. It was nice to see that the priests would play well together, he'd been worried they wouldn't get along. "Is it that much different than other priests?"

"Well we all have a magically gifted partner while the other is more physically inclined, but not to the point that the final priests would be." Michael shook his head and smiled a bit, yep definitely friendlier than the douche bag he knew in high school. Though really it was also pretty different from Cas when they'd first met, but Cas had a hard past to Dean wasn't that surprised. "I have to say, I'm very relieved you're here. My partner and I have been looking all over for the priests of prophecy but it seems that things haven't quite been in our favour. It feels like the timeline isn't how it should be, you know what I mean?"

"It's not," Dean was a little shocked that this guy could feel it without actually having been told. Maybe it was more obvious than they had thought? Or maybe this Michael had gone through some things that they hadn't. "The previous timeline had been corrupted and I guess not everything stays the same when it reset."

"It reset?" Michael's eyebrows knit together as he processed the words carefully. "How would you even know that? If it was reset then we all would have been too, how do you know about something you shouldn't?"

"Uh well it's been quite the trip for us. But mostly we've been talking to the celestial beings." Dean didn't intend to share everything with this other priest. Sure they were technically on the same side and Michael had been pretty good up until then but Dean didn't want to talk about the journal, that was definitely a tighter knit family thing. It used to belong to a different Sam and now his little brother carried it, Dean didn't like the idea of random priests going up to his brother and asking to see it. So all due respect to Michael but it wasn't something to be shared.

However Michael seemed more preoccupied with the thought of talking to the celestial beings, "Wait, the ones that helped wake and train us? You've spoken more to them than that?"

"Yeah, they don't talk to you? In your heads or anything?"

"Never." Michael's expression grew more serious, Dean could almost see the thoughts floating across his eyes, determined and a tad righteous. "Alright, you're definitely the priests from the prophecy, there can't be any other explanation."

"Can you tell me something?" Dean wished Castiel would show up but for now he'd have to deal with Michael on his own.

"I'll try."

"Where is everyone hearing about this prophecy?"

Michael's expression softened again and he shook his head, "It's something one of the partners hears among the common high priests. When the first priest of the pair wakes they have to find their partner, when the partner wakes they hear the prophecy. I became a priest first so my partner knows a little more about hearing it than I do. I think it's like a voice in his head, though that was the only time it's ever happened."

"I woke up second, does that mean I should have heard it too? Wouldn't that make more sense?" Dean's head was starting to hurt but he didn't bother to say that out loud, there was no point.

"I guess it's expected that you'll just... know it? Or maybe it's more like you will just do it, without having to know."

"Or the people who are in charge of destiny knew that everyone would run up to us going 'you're the prophecy' and crap." Dean shrugged and pursed his lips together, it was nice that Michael was guessing about some of it too, he didn't feel so stupid for asking a million questions. "So if everyone knew that then why didn't someone go to In Somniantes to keep the last priest safe?"

"Because the worlds aren't exactly labeled," Michael exclaimed tiredly, his exhaustion starting to show. "When we finally found it this had already happened. A crack was made in this world and wasn't repaired properly, I thought the priest had died. But you say he's here now?"

"Somewhere. Can you tell what happened here? Like I know there was a demoni that had gotten in, what caused all of this?"

"The void focused on it, tried to destroy it before the priest could fully wake but I guess he was already gone. The world fell into the shallow part of the void, broke off the mainline and just... I guess it's just been sitting here." Michael touched his hand to his chin and paused thoughtfully, "If the void hadn't been reset it must have tried to demolish In Somniantes before the priest woke up, why didn't it succeed?"

"Maybe it couldn't get in yet, like the void can slip in to any world but only a little. If it could just take over then it would have already devoured everything." This was normally Sam's job but Dean found himself debating the situation instead. He was glad he hadn't brought Sam with, the void pollution would have been intolerable and might've made him sick again. Dean wouldn't risk that for anything.

"So it got in through the fissure made by the demoni, regardless I wouldn't doubt that it could happen to any world... We need this to end."

"Believe me, we're working on it." Dean sighed and looked around, still trying not to think about how those people must be feeling as their world falls apart like that. "So why are you guys here, anyway?"

"The battle with the void has been getting so much worse. I spoke with other high priests since this all began, we were under the impression that the void would have been much weaker at the start and only got stronger with time. I'm guessing that has something to do with the reset?"

"I think maybe, the timeline split off when the first one lost track of itself and restarted the life of the worlds on it. But the timelines and the mainline are disconnected from the void so I guess the void doesn't reset." Dean felt sick just thinking about it, the monsters they were fighting and having a hard time with were supposed to be easy. They were the final priests, they were the ones who surpassed all others in strength and they had trouble with the canon fodder. He couldn't imagine how priests like Michael were fairing, it must be hell for them. "You guys came here looking for a last hope, didn't you?"

"Yes, we're on our last legs out there."

"Are you working with other pairs of priests or on your own?"

"There aren't that many of us left, I haven't seen another pair in a long time." Michael smiled at him, a little hopeful, "But the next pair I come across are the ones who are meant to end this. I have to say I'm relieved you're alive. What are your names?"

"I'm Dean, my partner is Castiel."

"Hold on," Michael furrowed his brow again, the name burning in the back of his mind, "I've heard those names, you wouldn't know two others by any chance, a Sam and Jet?"

"How do _you_ know them?" Dean lurched forward, grabbing hold of the front of Michael's shirt and pulling him closer.

Michael didn't seem at all fazed though, his expression remaining entirely the same, "I've heard them, there's a world down the mainline called Futurum, you'd know it by the reflective fire. My partner and I have been there, they allow us to see our own future and if someone else's future is loud enough you can hear it."

"What did you hear?" Dean wasn't about to let up, his grip tightening as he nearly snarled into Michael's face.

"Someone said 'Sam we need to go' and he replied by saying 'No Cas' followed by him screaming for a Dean to help someone named Jet."

"What does that mean?" Dean let go, now at least satisfied that Michael wasn't about to do anything awful.

"I don't know, it sounded urgent though, panicked. I'd wager there'll be trouble for them."

"When?"

"There's no way of knowing."

The sick feeling returned, Dean wanted to vomit. What was going to happen? Cas had to tell Sam they needed to leave while Jet was in some kind of trouble? What the hell was happening? Or was going to happen or whatever, his head hurt. "I need to find Cas," Dean started running past Michael, "Come on, your partner's missing too right?"

"He's around, but he'll find me." Michael followed him, finding he needed to struggle to keep up. Dean really was more physical and speed was definitely included in that.


	46. In Somniantes: High Priest Gabriel

**Author's Note:**

**Yeah yeah, I used Michael again XP I had intended to at some point, this has nothing to do with the Jar of Hearts Michael, for those of you who have read that already. Thank you again to my reviewers, and a special thanks to Just4Shiggles08 for that last one. I am very flattered by all of you and I feel like I don't deserve the praise sometimes but none the less I hope to keep you all entertained. I love writing and if I have some fans then all the more reason to keep it up. I wouldn't still be doing this if it weren't for you guys, so thank you everyone. **

* * *

**In Somniantes: Part 2**

Castiel stepped through the portal and onto the other side without much of a thought passing through his mind. He already knew everything he could possibly think about the place, he'd seen it fall and he knew what it meant. The world was falling apart, people he once knew there were dying and it was probably his fault, either for causing it or not being strong enough to save it. When a priest visited a world to take care of a threat from the void they left it with a small warding barrier. It wasn't much but it allowed the crack in the world to heal enough that when the spell wore off it was safe again.

In Somniantes hadn't been quite as lucky. Castiel had woken as a priest inside the world, meaning when he left there was no such spell in his wake. The break in its shell was left to fester and spread. Castiel closed his eyes, he let the feeling of darkness pass over him. He'd originally told the others that they couldn't reach this world because it was in the void, while he still believed it was the right call to make Cas felt kind of bad for lying. Back then he didn't care much and lying would have come so easily, but now he couldn't imagine the anger and frustration he'd cause. And he could cause plenty.

He remembered all of it, as soon as he'd touched down on the mainline, priesthood and everything in tact.

_Castiel looked around at the vastness he'd entered, all the weird little fires lit up and the darkness below the road, nothing but movement and strange colours and lights above. He had no idea what he was getting himself into, this whole thing was overwhelming and strange and nothing made sense anymore. Cas walked down the path a little toward the main road, glancing back at the world he'd just left. It looked so twisted and the darkness pulled and pulled at it, large moving hand-like figures grasping, clawing. _

_The surface below him started to tremble and crack, a loud, echoing groan came from the bridge to the world. It started to tilt back as more and more pressure was put upon it. Castiel felt his legs shaking as he stumbled backward, away from the monstrous darkness that lashed out from below. His eyes were wide and terrified, all he could do was watch as the connection gave way, the world falling into the depths below. It was horrifying, those weird beings had told him what was down there, how dangerous and awful it was. And here he stood, watching as the people he knew, his world fell to its death. The place he'd met Dean, the place he'd buried Sam, gone. His family was gone, forever. _

"_I'm…" Cas walked to the edge of the broken path, staring down at the flame flickering down below, "I'm alone…" _

Cas closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he wasn't alone anymore, he had Dean, Sam, and Jet. His family was there, he was becoming whole again, it didn't matter that he was back. He could go visit the cemetery, he could go to his old yard, he could do any of those things but the thought scared him. Castiel didn't want to have to take part in any of it, he didn't want to do it but here he was, standing on the soil of his home world. No thoughts had passed through his mind when he'd first stepped out but as he really looked around he could see places he recognized once, what they were supposed to be. He could see people he'd known, almost no older than when he'd left centuries ago. It was all so messed up, this place was broken and the pieces were disintegrating into the void.

Castiel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes again and trying to forget it. But forgetting wasn't the problem, he needed to accept it. He had to get over it and he had to get past it. Cas took another slow breath and started walking through the street, eyes cast this way and that as he tried to keep it all in. It was his road, his neighbourhood, his life broken apart. Cas didn't know what he'd find, he didn't know if he should go any further. Most of the worlds, when the high priest was on the mainline, were frozen in time. When they entered another world all the worlds tended to start up again, time resumed and life continued on as if there had been no pause. But not In Somniantes, they were in this constant state of flickering time and to see it made him feel ill. Some of the cars were in the same place he remembered the last weekend he'd lived there.

And the thought dawned on him as he headed for his old home; what would he find in the front yard?

Castiel wanted to throw up but he continued forward anyway, he couldn't stop his legs while they carried him to his old home, his heart started to beat erratically as he approached. He could see something in the front lawn, he'd never had a chance to really look at what he'd done. The celestials had taken him to the in between world space immediately, trained him and sent him out to the mainline. Cas could feel the numbness sinking into his limbs as he walked up the driveway. Why he was doing this to himself he would never know, but he felt he had to see it, to finalize everything.

Someone he didn't recognize at first walked out of the house, but the long trench coat had his hopes up. Cas' eyes snapped up to the face in an eager race to see Dean, but it wasn't him. The other guy seemed to do the same thing except he didn't look much further than noticing another priest standing close by. Instead golden eyes shifted out toward

"Can't find him there either."

"Who are you looking for?" Cas called out, knowing he'd get the exact look that the other man gave him. It was Gabriel, an older one, Cas felt that this Gabriel was maybe older than he was though he couldn't be sure. Gabriel's eyes had widened when he saw that the dark haired priest standing down the road from him wasn't, in fact, his partner.

"Hold up, you're not Michael. Who-"

"Castiel," Cas cut to it, a smile on his lips as he ignored the slight trembling in his body, walking closer until he could shake the other's hand. "I take it your name is Gabriel?"

"You've heard of me?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow as they shook, his expression wasn't one of concern or suspicion but slight arrogance. Apparently having been heard of was a big deal.

"No, well, not you specifically but I've seen others like you." They both looked at one another's outfits, the same designs and intricacies, colours and material, all of it. "You're another priest…"

"You're acting like you've never seen anyone else," Gabriel scoffed lightly and shrugged, "Granted it's been a long time since I saw anybody… I mean we've never met before, are you new? Are new priests waking up? Which world are you from?" He was so upbeat, that same hint of playful cynicism that Cas remembered mixed in with an innocence that didn't quite belong either.

"I'd… rather not say." Cas turned away from the question and found his gaze lingering toward the pajama-clad body in the grass. He knew those clothes so well, the pattern, the smell, the feeling, he felt so conflicted as he stared at them.

"You looking for the prophecy duo too then, huh? My partner Michael and I have been all over the place, it took us forever to get here." Gabriel didn't seem to notice Cas' little freeze up, or he had and was trying to make light of the situation by talking more. He of course had no idea what made Cas stop, "I already checked the body out, looks like it's part of the reason In Somniantes is in such rough shape. Our priest woke up here and probably did this so we know he's not dead-"

"Stop." Cas cried sharply, shaking his head as he stumbled to the body's side, his legs shaking as he slowly knelt down beside it. The world felt like it was spinning, heavily spinning around him like a drunken top that was launched extremely poorly. Cas wanted to be sick as he remained very still, as if any movement would draw the attention of his dead lover.

Dean. Lying there in the grass, right where he'd been left, hands that tried to choke his life out now limply resting in the cooling soil. Cas was starting to find it harder and harder to breathe, he hesitantly reached over to touch the pale face tucked down toward the ground. It scared him and he didn't want to but the whole point was to finish this, was to put a lid on everything and get his closure.

Closure had never been such a horrible idea. Castiel's fingers felt like ice as he gently turned Dean's head, stiff and clammy and paler than he'd ever been. The blood had settled to the bottom of his body, it had coagulated and Cas could smell the rotten flesh already. It wasn't pretty, a corpse wasn't left in a beautiful way as some kind of photogenic scenery piece. It was ugly, it smelled like rotten meat, it was painful and made Castiel want to throw up even more than before. But his body held everything in and let it swirl and coil in his stomach like a tightly wound ball of nerves.

Gabriel definitely wasn't the type who knew exactly what to do when someone was upset, usually making jokes worked but Cas really looked distraught. "Hey…" He wished he knew what to say or at least something he could do but nothing came to mind. Gabriel rubbed soothing circles in Cas' back, he could see now that apparently this priest was either a bleeding heart or he knew the guy half blown apart on the ground.

Cas couldn't even try to choke out something to say to Gabriel, his throat felt like it had closed up and what's more his mind all but shut out the rest of the world around him. All he was seeing were the smiles and laugh lines on Dean's face disappearing, the sparkle in his eyes and that way he liked to wink at him. Dean was gone, his little personality quirks, his words, his love, all of it. Dean was never coming back, not this one. Castiel wished more than anything to feel it, to feel those arms around him one more time so he could say goodbye, so that in some way he could forget, move on. Dean looked so pale now, he could picture the blush in his husband's cheeks now faded to a pasty white. His eyes were lack luster and only added to the sense of a marionette with its string severed.

Cold, stiff, and lacking every ounce of life Dean had ever had. Castiel could go on about all the things wrong with what he was seeing right then but the words just wouldn't come to him. Part of him wished he were lying there too, lifeless and frozen to the rest of the world. But he reminded himself, the thought flooded his mind like a thunderous wave; _'You have a new family.'_ Cas closed his eyes and let that take over, try and erase what he was seeing now. _'You aren't alone anymore, they love you, and he would be so happy and proud to see you now, to see you happy and healing.'_ It took everything he had to forget the nightmares he'd had, those weren't Dean, they were self-made and that said nothing about the love they'd shared.

But still, he caressed the decaying cheek carefully, tears slipping from his eyes as breathing eased up on him. "I miss you," he whispered softly, "I'll always love you." Cas bit his lower lip when it trembled, "I mean that, but now I have to say goodbye."

Gabriel stood quietly as Castiel placed a hand over the world's scar, the mess and open wound left by the demoni and priest that had killed it. A light glowed beneath his palm and for a moment nothing happened, it was calm and silent, the time lapse didn't seem to faze anything for a few seconds. And then a flash, a pale colour barely noticeable as it blinded anyone stupid enough to look at it. The area was consumed in the light, slowly fading back into its usual saturated appearance once it had cleared. The ground was empty in front of Cas and the original scar, festering and gaping as it was, had vanished.

Needless to say Gabriel was in awe, "You're... you're the priest that woke from here, you're the legend aren't you?"

Castiel slowly rose and straightened his back, shoulders square and feeling much lighter, "I am, so I've been told."

Gabriel wasn't sure what to say, he was the magical one of his pair and to meet the strongest magic wielder of the priests was like meeting a celebrity. "Where have you been? What happened?"

"Well this happened, for one." Cas looked around sadly but not depressingly so. "And I think the universe is out to get me, what do you know about the corrupted timeline?" He looked over at Gabriel and the other priest's face told him everything; he had no idea.

"What's the corrupted timeline?"

"Uh... well from what my team has gathered, this has all kind of happened before. The Void being activated and risen, the high priests woken from dormancy, the last priests, all of it. It was happening exactly according to this prophecy I think and then... something broke. The prophecy was corrupted and therefore so was the rest of the timeline. A new one sprouted from the last significant moment of the first and that's the timeline we're currently on, hopefully on the right path this time..." Cas thought back to the journal entries Sam had shown them, "Things are already different, as far as we've discovered."

Gabriel's expression remained deceitfully neutral until he started to nod and furrow his brow. "Sounds complicated... I'm kind of glad I'm not the last priest, you've got a big job ahead of you."

"Have you found anything more about this prophecy thing?" Cas asked exasperatedly, "It all sounds too vague, like yeah okay it's specific as to where to find the first of the last pair but when it comes down to 'stopping the Void' I've got nothing to go on. We're going from world to world trying to fix things and I have absolutely nothing to work with, it's slow and I've been at it for centuries."

"We've been working on it too, things are grim out there. The Void is so much stronger than I thought it'd be, the monsters are complicated, even the little ones."

Castiel chewed on the inside of his cheek, which in turn led to biting his lip and dragging it through his teeth. "Wait," he looked up at the other priest thoughtfully, "How much did you know when you woke? How do you know about the prophecy?"

"Out of the common priests one of them will hear the prophecy when he wakes, kind of like a recording in his head. Visions of In Somniantes, the Void, and silhouettes of the last priests who will inevitably be in charge of the final battle." Gabriel recounted it like he could see it playing out in front of him, "In Somniantes looked like it does now except a little less destroyed, the visions of the Void were terrifying... Glimpses of different nightmares made real, unimaginable creatures lurking and this feeling like it's dragging you down with it. All from a simple image in your head. But at the end it's wiped clean, this sense of victory and power rises up in you like a surging wave as these two priests appear. One with some kind of spiked gun the other holding something as simple as a rod from what I saw. It was an incredible sensation, kind of meant to inspire while at the same time warn us."

"Wow..." Cas folded his arms over his chest and stared down at the ground without much to really look at, his gaze lingered on the patch of grass he'd left empty without his permission. "Sounds intense..."

"There are so many different places you can find out more about the prophecy but none of them are safe." Gabriel went on to say, "Michael and I have tried to venture to them but most of them aren't connected to the mainline. You have to venture from it, dare to go past it, and maybe you'll see what you're looking for. But there's no guarantee, the Void can get you when you're not on the mainline."

"I know... And two of the ones travelling with us aren't priests." Cas wanted everything to end quickly but he wasn't willing to risk Sam and Jet for that. But the rest of the universe was already in some kind of shamble or other. It was a difficult call but he didn't have too much time to make it in that moment. He could hear Dean's voice shouting to him, repeatedly and loudly. Cas looked down the road to see Dean bolting toward him. Luckily his partner was fast so he didn't have to wait too long, the need to see Dean's face was becoming less of a minor desire and more of a desperate necessity.

It was important at that moment to see Dean smile, to hear him laugh, watch the life in his eyes, anything would do. Cas just needed to hold Dean, and the more he realized it the more he found himself moving, walking, running, sprinting to Dean's arms.

Dean hadn't been expecting it but he welcomed the affection all the same, he'd give Castiel anything he needed and hugs weren't off the list. "You okay?" Dean asked softly, kissing the side of Cas' head.

Castiel nodded and sighed into Dean's shoulder, fingers dug into the fabric of his coat and holding tightly. "I'm just glad you're here."

"We need to go, Sam and Jet might be in trouble." Dean leaned back and looked at Cas' face, watching the concern wipe across his expression like a shadow.

"How do you know?"

"Michael, one of the other priests told me they'd been to a world called Futurum. It's a place where you can get like future readings and shit, sometimes if it's strong enough you get a little bit of someone else's future and he heard you tell Sam that we had to leave and Sam was screaming at me to help Jet. I don't like the sound of it."

"I think in no context is it ever okay to hear Sam screaming for you to help someone. So agreed, let's get out of here, it's making me sick anyway." Cas looked over at Gabriel, "You two come with us, it's time to leave this place to rest."

Gabriel and Michael both nodded and went to join them as the portal opened, no one bothering to get one last look; especially Castiel.

* * *

**Mainline**

They stepped out of the world's entrance and felt the shake of its pathway as the Void thrashed and grasped at it even more desperately and violently than before. It knew that the priests were there, that there were at least four of them present and to say it was agitated was putting it mildly. Cas yelped a little when Dean grabbed him around the waist and jumped away from In Somniantes as strongly as his legs would carry him. They hadn't been in there for very long but the entire point was to get information from the other priests. They'd gotten Michael and Gabriel to join them for the time being, that was a success if Dean had ever seen one.

Castiel used the same spell he'd cast on Sam and Jet earlier, the magic dragging them back to the mainline safely. Dean looked at him with a half smirk, "I get why you lied way back when I asked about going down to In Somniantes, but I still can't believe you lied to me."

Cas grinned a little, "Who's to say I didn't lie about everything?"

Dean kissed Cas' forehead and shrugged, "I don't think you would have." He looked up at the mainline road, not reaching it fast enough for his liking. "Sammy!" Dean shouted with a nervous tinge, watching anxiously as two shaggy brown heads peered down at him. Relief washed over both him and Cas as Jet waved and Sam made a bit of a face.

"What took you so long?" Sam called back, laughter in his tone. So far, nothing had happened.


	47. Mainline: What We Know

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the delay guys! And of course I'd apologize for more exposition here but hey you know what? I'm actually not adding it too badly. I watched a movie recently where it was basically all exposition *cough*thelastairbender*cough* and I realize what can really make bad writing. I hope to never be M. Night level bad.**

* * *

**Mainline**

Dean stepped onto the road and wrapped Sam up in a hug immediately, giving him a good squeeze before moving to surprise Jet with the same treatment. "Whoa, dude what happened in there?" Jet pat him on the back, not refusing or ignoring the hug just taken aback by it. "You guys look spooked."

"A lot," Cas sighed and hugged Sam as well, "It's good to see you're okay though."

"Why wouldn't we be? We were literally trapped here doing nothing for like five minutes." Jet smirked and punched Dean in the shoulder once he let go, "Seriously, what's up?"

Dean felt like he should shrug it off, that maybe he over reacted over something someone else sort of heard, but nothing in this crazy Void business left room for the freedom to laugh something off. It was too dangerous to let lie. "I heard something that may or may not have meant you were in trouble or going to be. I couldn't risk it so we came back here."

"How long was it for you?" Sam looked at his brother for a second then snapped his head to see the two new faces as Michael and Gabriel climbed onto the mainline road for themselves. "Who…?" Gabriel looked over at them and gave a bright smile and one quick wave like he really was too cool for the crowd he was entering. And then he saw Sam, his eyes widened a little, just enough to be noticed, he leaned toward Michael and whispered something that earned an eye roll from the taller priest. Sam raised an eyebrow and looked to Dean and Castiel for some kind of an answer.

Cas lit up instantly like he was showing off his family at Christmas, and motioned toward the two, "This is Gabriel as we know, this one is Michael. Michael and Gabriel, I'm Castiel, that's Dean, Sam, Dean's little brother, and this is Jet."

"A pleasure to meet you," Michael smiled at them and gave a little bow to be respectful, they were, after all, the high priests of prophecy. Gabriel smirked and slipped a wink into his show of 'humbleness'. Sam's lips pulled into a sort of smile and he returned it with a short wave of his own. Gabriel felt somewhat accomplished by that, however he felt a shiver run down his back. It was almost like a predator was watching him, Gabriel rolled his shoulders a bit and looked at the others to find what might be causing it. The other brunet of the group was giving a look that could only be described as murderous.

"Hi," Gabriel offered Jet a smile that he returned with a slow nod of his head, eyes dangerously fixed on the much shorter male.

"So, shall we discuss what we know and what to do next?" Michael continued, hardly noticing the little exchange.

Sam did his best to contain the joy he wanted to squeal with. He'd been so bummed for the last few minutes that he was going to miss all the important information and now here it was happening right around him. He looked over at Jet who had a certain 'I told you it'd work out' look on his face. Didn't matter though, Sam would be in the loop.

"Right, so basically we've got the prophecy thing down," Cas looked over at Dean who nodded. "When the Void was stirred so were the high priests, they're meant to work in pairs so one wakes first and goes to find his partner. This is true for all of them, even the final two who are supposedly meant to stop all of this. Nothing we know of says how we can do this, Gabriel mentioned that there are more details hidden in worlds that are off the mainline."

"From what I know of that," Michael took Castiel's pause as a good cue to start talking, "Those worlds are difficult to come by and there are different criteria that need to be met before the worlds are open to you. You can't just wander off the mainline and come across one, they're not like In Somniantes, they can't be accessed that easily."

"Which means what?" Dean's nose scrunched up a bit as he spoke, his eyes narrowing as he processed their next move, "We keep doing what we're doing and hope we meet the criteria?"

"More or less," Gabriel shrugged, "Not much we can do to force those worlds open. You can, though, go to Futurum and figure a few things out. Who knows, you might see something useful."

"The hell's Futurum?" Jet asked before Sam could figure out a smarter and more polite way to do the same.

"It's a world that has access to future events. Sometimes they're very in depth and intense, other times they'll literally show you getting out of bed the next morning." Michael chuckled, glancing over to Gabriel who just pouted at the memory. "It's a toss up, but there are four of you and two of you are indefinitely important."

"Hell of an ego boost," Jet smirked and nudged Dean playfully. "But what's it going to help if we see this?"

"It's worth a shot," Sam piped in, interrupting Jet before he could mention the journal. Dean and Cas hadn't started in about it yet and he didn't want to randomly trust people Dean might not. "If it can help us figure out our next move or maybe even give us a heads up about something, I'm all for it."

"Okay, okay," Jet lifted his hands a little to insinuate he'd back off, "We do our world to world thing like usual because they still need help. But Futurum comes first? How are we supposed to know which one it is?"

"Futurum has a trail of fire like all the other worlds except it doesn't have a colour, the fire is reflective like a mirror." Michael explained calmly, "You'll know it when you see it."

"Fair enough," Cas took a slow breath and looked at the two new priests in their midst, "So you two have met other pairs?"

"Yep," Gabriel nodded knowingly, "They were all pretty tough, I couldn't imagine any of them going down but I guess I just over estimate our chances. A lot of partners are dead."

"So the odds of running into another priest is slim then…" Cas touched his fingers to his lips, tapping lightly as he thought. "How long has there been this few?"

"It's hard to tell," Michael shook his head, "But it's been some time now. I really wish we could have spoken to the celestials, what have they told you?"

"Mostly the same things that we've shared with you," Cas exchanged a quickly look with Dean as he spoke, "But… there are some things I feel we need to explain. The holy beings are the ones that have told us about the corrupted timeline. They gave us a journal that a person from that first timeline had written to try and prepare us for what's coming."

"So you know our future?" Michael and Gabriel didn't seem at all upset about the hidden information, they were just glad it had been shared with them. Dean noted how refreshing it felt to see that, not like in every movie he'd seen where the new people they met always turned into raging assholes who stabbed them in the back down the road.

"Not exactly, we were told it'd help to prevent this timeline from repeating the same mistakes but then they said that too much had already changed for the same events to occur." Cas shrugged, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "We know already that the celestials now are different than the ones from the corrupted timeline, we believe the original celestials were killed, sacrificing one of the prophesied priests in the process."

"That's probably why we get a second chance," Gabriel mused seriously, his bright eyes narrowed as he looked toward the ground, as if it had some mystical ability to answer any question that came to mind. "But even though it's nice I doubt we get another one, because the Void is only getting stronger."

"About that," Dean added quickly, "The Void doesn't seem to be restarting, it just keeps going from the very first awakening."

"Meaning the monsters just get stronger." Sam finished Dean's thought with a look of slowly increasing horror. "Even if everything resets again, assuming we fail here, there's no way we could beat those things a third time around."

"Yeah," Jet chuckled bitterly, "Ten bucks says the priests don't get stronger every time."

"Wait hold on," Sam stepped forward and looked at Cas, "There aren't any moments in the journal about Cas getting so over powered and passing out, as far as I've read anyway. Do you think it happens now because the Void is so much stronger? Or maybe Cas' powers are?"

"Good question," Gabriel looked Sam over again and smiled a little, "Sorry, didn't quite catch your name before?"

"Uh… Sam."

"Point is," Jet aggressively joined the sharing circle, taking a position between Gabriel and Sam, "We can't fail here, whether we think the universe and destiny will give us a reset button or not is irrelevant. What's the plan?"

"We need more information," Dean decidedly stopped himself from point out Jet's behaviour to him, last thing they needed was some kind of a face off. "I want to visit Futurum and see what they have to show us."

"Sounds like a good idea," Michael agreed and cast a glance to his partner, "We'll continue with what we're supposed to be doing, see if we can't save some of these worlds."

"Question," Sam almost raised his hand like he might be in school, he at least managed to stop himself from looking foolish. "Do we know what the end game is?"

"What do you mean?" Cas tilted his head curiously, his eyes squinting just enough to make Dean smile.

"I mean are we looking to wipe the Void out entirely or what? It's way too big for a few priests to handle."

"I've heard others say they've been to those distant worlds, the ones off the mainline, where part of the legend had revealed there is a way to seal the Void again." Michael explained with a sorrowful look to his face, Dean wanted to ask but wasn't sure he should. "Though the priests didn't get a chance to tell me any more."

"Why not? Sounds kind of important." Dean ventured to say with a look of ambivalence.

"Because they died." Gabriel glowered at him, the gold in his eyes only adding to the fury mixing there. "Those worlds are infested, the mainline is safe but anything off of it will kill you. We're talking dinosaur sized monsters here."

"Those aren't even the worst of it," Michael's tone dropped, eyes hazing over like a movie of memories played across his mind as he formed the words. His gaze shifted to each face of the four companions before he spoke again, "There are creatures you can't see coming, ones that could kill a weaker man with a single touch. If the four of you end up going," he focused on Sam and Jet for a moment, worry creeping into his features, "Watch out for these two."

Dean felt his skin crawl as he nodded, "Always do."

"Is there a way to contact you again?" Cas asked in a way he tried to nonchalant but he'd gotten used to people, he realized he hated being alone. The thought of never seeing them again wasn't something he enjoyed thinking about, finally finding other priests and people with the same goal as them it seemed silly to part ways so soon.

Michael seemed to sense the discomfort Castiel was feeling, he approached the other man and carefully took his hand to shake it again. A firm grasp that didn't let go after the handshake had finished, "Don't worry, Castiel. If it's meant for us to work together we will meet again."

"Yep," Gabriel winked playfully at Sam one more time, "It's destiny."

The pair bid their farewells and departed to the next world of their choosing. Jet scoffed indignantly, "Psh, friggin' asshole."

Sam smiled at Jet and stifled a laugh.

"What?" He was defensive immediately, eyes narrowed with a slight wrinkle in his brow.

"Nothing, so we find this reflective fire, right?"

"Sounds about right," Dean smirked and turned to Cas, "Ready to go?" It was nice to see Castiel's eyes so open, so excited. He'd been very down with their work, their lives, seeing no end in sight and what was worse was the depression that repeatedly hit him. Cas' life had changed so drastically from when he worked alone, he went from being angry, bitter, and a loner to someone that dared to look hopeful. Cas would be one of the first to see them all as a family, to love them all and defend them with all he was worth.

"Yes," Castiel sighed happily and started down the mainline again, eyes open for a strange flame. "I can't believe we really met other priests. I've been doing this for so long and yet never saw a single one."

"I can't believe they're both such dorks." Jet remarked snarkily, arms crossed behind his head as he walked.

"You're just being jealous," Dean grinned, jabbing his friend in the side.

While Jet swatted at Dean's limbs Sam and Castiel moved ahead, eyes fixed on something they hadn't quite seen before. One of the worlds' fires started to blaze, a brilliant and horrifying light cascading over every world within its radius.

"That's not normal." Sam muttered nervously, looking to Castiel who had been transfixed by the spectacle. "What does that mean? Did they see it too?" Sam looked toward the world that Gabriel and Michael had ventured toward, evidently they had disappeared before the firestorm.

"We don't have time to find Futurum right now," Cas started running down the mainline road, "A Void monster has breached one of the worlds, and from what I can see it's a big one."

Dean and Jet had both stopped to see what the commotion was about, their eyes drawn to the eruption ahead of them. "Son of a bitch…" Dean muttered, "Come on."

"Right." Jet picked up the pace, all four of them running to the world in distress.


	48. Childhood Sweetheart: Gigas

**Author's Note:**

**Jealous Jet is a fun one to write, I have to admit ;) Thank you again for reading, I can't express that enough! For those of you who don't follow me already I've made the decision to re-write and add to the Angel Training series so go and check out the Compilation thingy.**

* * *

**Childhood Sweetheart: Part 1**

There was nothing more terrifying for Dean than to jump into that portal, he knew there was some awful thing happening there and that it was his job to go. But he also knew that the odds of him being close enough to Sam, Cas, or Jet to keep them safe was slim, and with the renowned luck of the Winchesters it was impossible. _'Please keep him safe.'_ Dean didn't know what higher power he was praying to, God, the celestials, his parents, it didn't matter. As long as he got what he needed.

The rush in the portal was the same, Dean touched down still a little off balance but it was graceful enough. The moment his foot contacted the earth below he felt a rumble, tremors and shaking followed swiftly. He snapped his head up to see a small mountain town in ruins, buildings crushed and smashed through like someone was rolling through town with a wrecking ball; a massive one. People ran past him screaming, terrified and running for an escape. Whatever he was looking for it had to be close.

But then the mountain moved.

Dean's mouth fell slack as what he'd assumed was the peak of a stout mountain shifted and rose, displaying itself as the hump on a large creature's back. It's colouration matched mountains Dean had seen in pictures and its complexion was as rough as any rocky surface, he didn't feel bad about not knowing it was the monster in question. What did feel bad about was how much damage it had already done. The towering beast merely had to take a step and a house would be flattened along with its neighbours yard. The ground shook again as the monster leaned back and its mouth fell open like it had unhinged its jaw. A roaring screech pierced the air and drowned out every other sound Dean could hear, he had to cover his ears and brace himself as the shockwave blasted through. Its eyes glowed a wicked red, hiding in the deep crevices of its eye sockets. They were small for its face, beady creepy things that Dean was almost certain could shoot some kind of laser or something –aside from the fact that it wasn't a robot.

"Son of a bitch…" He breathed the words his mind was barely able to form in the first place, he slowly lowered his arms as his brain tried to comprehend the images his eyes sent it. Dean could feel the quickening beats of his heart as he realized that he was entirely alone, he couldn't see Sam, Cas, or Jet anywhere. "Son of a _bitch_!" He cursed loudly and started running toward the monster. Whatever it was he had to take it out, and if he was so far away from the giant thing he could bet money that Sam was right in front of it.

Dean pushed past scrambling residents of the town, all of them flocking to the exit, fleeing their homes and hurrying to safety. He felt a wave of regret as he passed those that needed help but he couldn't stop, Castiel was there and probably fighting already. Why else would the monster have roared like that? And his mind just wouldn't shut up, he could hear Gabriel's words; _"We're talking dinosaur sized monsters here."_ But Michael stood out to him more, the look on the man's face and how he'd turned to Sam and Jet.

"_Watch out for these two."_

He could have thrown himself into the sun and it wouldn't be nearly as bad as he was feeling at that moment. Right after getting a warning like that he couldn't find them, any of them. Cas needed his protection too, Castiel needed him just as much or more than Sam or Jet ever would, and Dean was alone. They were alone. Separated again and he wanted to punch a brick wall, they had to find a better solution to jumping through portals.

Dean could hear creature in the distance, he could feel its footsteps in the earth and each one made his legs shake. Nothing was going to stop or trip him up, he would kill the Void monster and get it out of their way once and for all.

Of course there was one thing that would stop him each and every time. Dean's ears burned when an all too familiar crying hit him; it was Castiel. It wasn't his Cas, he knew the difference by now, but that didn't change the way his heart leapt to his throat. He sounded terrified and hurt, moaning pathetically and despairingly as if he was trying to do something and it really wasn't working, almost like a child throwing a tantrum.

Dean changed his course and found the source of the noise, he was right it was a Cas and he was pinned by some debris. The lower half of his body hidden beneath what looked like part of a house roof, angled downward slightly to indicate he was in a groove or a hole of some kind. Dean was relieved to see him living and very little blood around him, if any of it was his it wasn't apparent. Cas was pushing at the rubble but it didn't budge, and anything that might've dragged a long and agonized groan out of him.

He looked around his immediate area with an expression pulled tight by pain and trying to stop from crying. Dean hated it, the sight of it, the sound, the smell, all of it. "Cas," he called as he ran over, kneeling down next to the panicked man to get a better feel for the situation and how everything was held together; last thing he needed was to accidentally cut this Cas in half.

"Dean?" Castiel choked out his name as fresh tears rushed free, "Is that you?" Shaking, bloody hands reached for him, Cas was in hysterics as he whimpered out a few incoherent things, "Oh god, you're here, you're _here_. I'm so scared, Dean. I saw the house, it's broken and I-I th-thought you were-" his voice cracked and immediately rose into a higher pitched sob. Dean let Cas' hand touch him and reached forward as well to cup Castiel's face.

"It's okay, shhh, I'm going to get you out, alright?" Dean didn't have the heart to tell him that the other Dean might still be in the house rubble. It wasn't something Cas needed to hear at that moment anyway. Castiel nodded at him and tried to lean back, out of the way.

"It's too heavy." He croaked, swallowing thickly as he tried to calm himself down.

"No it isn't." Dean found the spot he'd been eyeing, perfect to lift from without harming Castiel. "Just sit tight, okay?" He grabbed the debris and found just how easy it was, the thing came right off like he was tossing a foam block. Dean stared at where it crash-landed with wide eyes, he hadn't done a whole lot of physical activity involving that kind of thing. The most he could imagine was roughhousing with Jet, he made a mental note to check his friend for bruises later, maybe he'd been playing too hard despite thinking he was holding back.

Cas was just as awestruck as he was, big eyes transfixed on the roof piece then on Dean, "You're… you're not my-"

"CAS!" Another Dean's voice broke over Castiel's, "Baby, are you okay?" He'd come from down the street, dirty, covered in blood and other unidentifiable things all mixed with sweat. "I went looking for you as soon as I saw that thing, I thought you were dead." He'd wrapped Cas in his arms and pulled him close, kissing him fervently, lips, cheek, forehead, anywhere he could manage.

Dean smiled and watched them with some relief, though he knew his family was still probably in the middle of the real horror story. "You two, can you guys get out of here?" He looked at them seriously, "I need to get out where that thing is."

"I've… got him." The other Dean stared up at him for a second but didn't bother with it, "Are we in some kind of horror movie?"

"Something like that, I guess." He grinned a little and nodded toward the now very shocked and frightened Castiel, "Take care of him, okay?" Dean didn't wait for a reply, he started running back down the road, hopping over the mess as he went; he had a Cas he had to take care of, himself.

* * *

Sam could barely make sense of what was happening as they hopped through the portal, and as he stared to take in the scenery, the disaster and horror laid out before him he totally missed the swinging limb near him. Sam started to turn his head though, he could feel the gust of air that came with such a large mass' movement. Terror filled him in those split seconds, his heart fell and froze, eyes wide as he watched the massive, clawed foot or hand coming for him. Nothing worked, he couldn't move; and then strong arms held him and pulled him backward. He recognized that grip, the feel of that body behind him, and though he thought death was sweeping down on him Sam felt relaxed.

It had been a foot and it stepped right down around them, they fit perfectly between its toes, giant appendages that were more than five times as big as them. The ground shook and he thought for sure he'd fall, forward, back, straight down, he didn't know for sure which way but he knew he'd never fall backward. The tremor was awful and once it ended he couldn't quite feel his legs. Sam's breath caught in his throat, watching as the limb lifted up again and soared over their heads like they weren't even there. "Jet…" he finally breathed again and he couldn't believe that his name was the first word out.

"I've got you." Jet lingered for a moment before letting go, his eyes trailing after the lumbering, enormous beast. Another step it took and again the ground shook incredibly, Sam felt dizzy and unbalanced, he almost fell when his sense of equilibrium lost track of itself. But he didn't, Jet held on again, keeping him still and upright.

"What the hell is that thing…" Sam decided to focus on the creature, not his position.

"Do I look like I know?" Jet had to shout now, the screams had gotten out of control and all kinds of sirens were going off, car alarms, emergency vehicles that were still on the road, even some little shops that had alarm systems set up. "You're the one with the journal, you tell me."

Sam nodded and fumbled for it, the thing had passed over them, they were safe now, mostly. He flipped through pages frantically trying to figure it out, there were little doodles but nothing much to go by. He was pretty sure he'd have remembered seeing something like this thing, but then again a lot of the monsters were unique in their own right. "I can't find it! I don't know!" He felt panicky, he'd never been that close to being stepped on before.

"Calm down," Jet gave him a light squeeze before he started down the road after it. "Whatever it is we need to do what we can, come on."

"Come on?" Sam squeaked, "Jet what the hell are we supposed to do? That thing's bigger than a skyscraper!"

"We help the people on the street, Dean and Cas are going to be flocking to that thing and we have a better chance of finding them if we stay close." Jet's voice had the same sense of urgency in it that Sam's did but he wasn't scared, at least not by the sound of it. Calm, collected and thinking straight. Sam wondered how many times Jet ran up against something bigger than him thinking he could take it on – the memory of seeing a young boy facing his drunken father came to mind and Sam decided maybe he didn't need to wonder.

"We're going to get crushed, we should get out of its way, go where it has been." He didn't want to follow it, his heart was racing and his limbs felt shaky.

"No, we follow it. We're already slow in comparison to the size of its footsteps so I doubt we'll catch up."

"But-"

"Trust me," Jet snapped back to look at him, sharp eyes easing into a softness that Sam would never be used to from Jet. "I'm here, I'm looking after you and I know that you'll be far safer when Dean and Cas show up."

Sam bit his lip but nodded all the same, Jet was right, safety was on its way. He felt childish and stupid for being so scared but he couldn't help it, fear crept into him like a nightmare in his sleep. He looked down the road, or what was left of it, to see the beast from further away he could make out more of what it looked like. As he looked he noticed a familiar figure standing on a building's rooftop, long coat flowing wildly around him as he watched the monster pass him by.

"It's Cas!" Sam shouted and ran past Jet, joy and relief coming to him and vanishing all in one moment as the monster leaned over. It had appeared long gone, walked too far away to come back, but just like when an ant thinks you can't be that close when you're two steps away, you can still kneel down and be directly in front of it.

The monster had moved so close, until its eye was right in front of Castiel, getting a good look at the High priest glaring at it. It's back was hunched, arms braced on the ground in such a position it reminded Sam of the old horror movie The Grudge, and how the monster had crawled its way toward its victim. For several long seconds the monster and Castiel stared each other down, Cas let out a breath and his eyes started to glow like Sam had seen him do a few times before. A light flashed and immediately dissipated, the monster stood and reeled backward while Castiel could only watch in petrified horror.

"His magic didn't work." Sam gasped before the thing bellowed out a roar that blew them all back. He'd closed his eyes, expecting it to hurt more than it had. He could feel the sensation of tumbling over the ground and he got a few scrapes, but the final impact was nothing like he'd thought it might be. Of course when it happened he knew exactly why, he'd hit Jet who took the brunt of the solid wall they'd crashed into. Sam heard the distinct grunt of pain and turned his head back, "Are you okay?"

"I'm good." Jet groaned and let his head drop backward, his face still pulled tight in a grimace, "Just gimme a sec…"

Sam looked to where Castiel had been but didn't have to search very hard, Cas had been knocked their direction and was lying a few feet away. "Cas!" Sam pulled himself up and ran to the priest's side, "Cas, are you alright?" He felt so useless, calling out people's names and being rescued constantly, crushing his rescuers and getting them hurt. He didn't imagine himself as the damsel in distress every goddamn time.

"I'm okay," Castiel sighed and sat up, looking to where the monster had continued its casual stroll.

"What are we dealing with?" Sam helped him sit up, watching the anxiety in Cas' face.

"Gigas."

"Sounds stupid." Jet grunted as he walked over, having pulled himself from the wreckage of the wall. "What do we have to do?"

"Physical attacks are the only things that'll work, but this one's too big, nothing I have will do anything more than piss it off." Castiel strained a little to stand up, eyes scanning the area for any signs of Dean. "We need your brother."

"Why'd you try magic if you knew it wouldn't work?" Jet's face scrunched up in confused frustration as he thought about it, "What was the point?"

"Had to remind myself why I ran away from the last gigas I came across…" Cas muttered as he reached backward into his coat, drawing his Pernach and aiming it up at the gigas' head.

Sam swallowed nervously and exchanged a look with Jet, the other male starting to look as worried as he was.


	49. Childhood Sweetheart: Eye For An Eye

**Childhood Sweetheart World: Part 2**

Dean leapt, hopped, and sprinted his way through the town like the hounds of hell were at his heels. They really might as well have been, too. His legs were burning and it felt like every step there was something nipping at him. It was all in his head, of course. His mind wouldn't let him rest as he bolted down straight pavement. It wasn't a very big town, or at least not anymore. It was on its way into becoming more of a city but that didn't change the fact that the whole thing was being demolished. Time wasn't on his side, each second he took to get close another person died and even more so it was closer and closer to that person being someone he knew. Dean could feel with each movement he was faster than he'd ever been, each step went further and his legs moved quicker than ever. It was like a dream, fluid and easy, no effort needed. He appreciated it, he could feel the difference in his body with every step, the adrenaline pumping, his blood rushing, all of it. But it still felt like it wasn't fast enough, the imagery of what his friends were going through kept playing over in his head. Castiel splattered on the ground, the monster would have thrown him or hit him too hard. Sam would be under foot or in the wrong place at the wrong time, a building crumbling and pinning him down. And Jet? Jet would find a way to get eaten.

The ground shook harder the closer he got, he was thankful that his priest given abilities included physical prowess, balance being one of those things. Dean would normally have faltered, tripped up and fallen, but not this time. His reflexes were astounding, he realized as he dodged falling debris and people alike. The more he pushed himself the more he learned.

Finally Dean could see more than the torso of this thing, it was close. He started jumping onto buildings, scrambling up the sides and hopping from rooftop to rooftop. He was almost there, he was so close he swore he could hear his family. Of course that was impossible, all he could really here was the sound of buildings crashing down and people screaming for their lives.

Meanwhile Castiel had fired on the gigas numerous times, attempting to hit it in the same place in the hopes he could get some combo damage. He was out of luck, however. It wasn't that he needed to add up the amount of damage he did to the monster, his weaker attacks were straight up negated. He growled low and continued to fire anyway, the gigas roared again and swatted at the shots buzzing around him like a fucking bug. "It isn't working! You two get out of here!"

"No!" Sam shouted defiantly, moving to run after Cas but Jet caught his arm. "We aren't going to leave you, Cas!"

"Fucking hell…" Castiel cursed under his breath, Sam meant well but what did he think he could accomplish by being so stubborn? The monster they were facing wasn't going to just go 'oh, okay they're defending their friend, guess I won't step on them.' He snarled and lowered his gun, smoke from the end of the barrel drawing his eyes down to the spikes on the muzzle. He furrowed his brow at it for a second, wheels turning in his head. He couldn't harm it with pot shots at its thick skin, he needed to hit a weak spot, but he hadn't seen anything other than its eyes. _'Guess I know my target.'_ Castiel thought as he shouldered his Pernach, "Then stay here." The order left his lips as he bolted down the street and jumped on top of the nearest building, climbing higher and higher as he moved closer to the gigas.

"What is he doing?" Sam still couldn't try to follow, Jet wasn't letting up any. "Jet let go, we need to follow him."

"You heard him, Sam. We're in the way here, I get following when the monster is a little more our size but we're dealing with something bigger than skyscrapers." Jet tried to sound reasonable, his tone was even and he didn't tighten his grip any more than it needed to be to hold Sam in place. Of course the Winchester wasn't about to just take that as an answer, Sam braced himself and pulled for a few brief seconds before a thunderous crash caught their attention again. Buildings near them that had lost their foundations started to fall, the tremors caused by each step the monster took had grown to be too much. Sam and Jet stood in the ruined street, safely watching as some of the smaller structures toppled over like houses made of cards.

The gigas roared again, the shockwave sending Sam and Jet stumbling. They both looked up to see Castiel on the top of the nearest building to the monster, his coat like a whirlwind around him for those seconds he calculated everything. Every last detail of his next move crossed his mind before he did it, running and taking that risk, leaping off the rooftop to the beast's swinging arm. It was terrifying and breathtaking, to see Castiel's miniscule form against the gargantuan limb. It was like watching someone play the game Shadow of the Colossus, but the speed that Castiel moved with was astounding and by far more impressive than the awkward shambling that they had been doing on the ground.

Sam felt so useless and scared, like he had to do something and it was getting overwhelming. "He's going to need us! Jet let go-"

"And what the fuck are we going to do!?" Jet snapped and forced Sam closer to him, to face him and Sam really did see the anger Dean had always said Jet carried. "Do you have a clue, Sam? Do you? Are you going to follow him up to the top of that fucking thing and ask it nicely to stop? We're _helpless_, there is absolutely nothing you can do against that thing. You can't even piss it off!"

"Jet-"

"NO! Fuck, Sam!" Jet grit his teeth and gestured toward the gigas pointedly, his motions strong but controlled, "Do you _see_ it? Have you fucking noticed that when it makes any kind of sound we nearly fall the fuck over? I said we'd come over here because this is where Dean and Castiel would show up, Cas is here and he told us to stay away from it so that's what we do. We aren't the super-powered priests, Sam. We're two regular fucking guys who happen to be tagging along for the company, moral support, we're like fucking comedy relief! Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Sam nodded, he'd been lectured by Jet a few times in his life but he'd never seen the other man this angry over something. Dean had seen it, Dean and Jet had been in fights before and Sam had seen the aftermath, broken noses, blood, black eyes, dark and angry bruises, the works. Jet wasn't violent with him but he wasn't above being yelled at. "I hear you… But Cas is here, we're safe with him it's fine."

"And Cas is just as fucking useless as we are! You heard me, you heard what he said, but are you _fucking listening_?!" Jet was in his face and not backing off, Sam wanted to look away but he couldn't. Jet had never been this severe with him, screaming at him and emphasizing his point by getting even louder, and it was because he was scared. Sam could see it, the fear in his eyes swirling around like it was its own colour. "He told us to stay back, he told us he ran away from the last one he fought, he's barely able to make the thing look at him! Just _wait!_ Just fucking waiting here, okay?"

Sam bit his lip and looked back to where Castiel had reached the gigas' shoulder, "I don't-"

"Sam! Can you do that?"

He looked at Jet again, his friend's tone had gotten softer with the last few words. He wondered what it meant, what Jet was more scared of.

"Please?"

Sam nodded, he didn't need to torture Jet anything further, "Alright…" He conceded but he didn't want to, eyes drawn back to where Castiel's mountain climbing adventure had brought him to the gigas' head.

It was windy up there and each movement the monster made was earth shaking for Cas, he braced himself and looked over its brow to gauge his next action. It was horrifying, to be so high up and see the ground that far below. He had trouble breathing the more he thought about it, but really he didn't have the luxury of worrying over it. Cas licked his lips and readied his gun, his feet hesitating only a few seconds before he made his move, sliding and climbing down as quickly as he could.

Cas caught himself directly in front of the gigas' right eye, his fingers finding a hold and his feet spreading out to hold himself up. It was a precarious position but he was balanced well enough to let go. The creature was reaching up for him just as he swung the mace of his combination weapon deep into its eye socket. A higher pitched screech rumbled and shook the area, Castiel had fallen but hadn't let go of his gun, which was still stuck in its eye.

The gigas roared again, stomping and stumbling around as it swatted at the high priest attached to its face. One swipe was enough, Castiel's pernach was dislodged and with a great amount of force he went sailing toward the ground. It was surreal, Sam could barely move or stand with how badly everything was slammed with pulse after pulse of sound and ground shattering steps. But he could watch as Castiel's limp body plummeted the thousands of feet to the ground.

"Cas! _CAS!_" He cried out but barely heard his voice over everything. "Dean! Dean, catch him!" It was all he could think to say, Cas was so close but not close enough for either himself or Jet to make it in time.

Moments before impact, before Sam watched the newest member of their family splatter all over the ground, a flash of blue stole the priest from midair. Sam nearly screamed with excitement and relief, Dean was there, Dean saved Castiel, Castiel was alive. He broke away from Jet's awestruck hold and bolted to where Dean had knelt down, Cas in his arms.

"Are you alright?" Dean asked immediately, barely giving Castiel a chance to focus. Blue eyes were so wide with shock and fear, his lips parted as he panted softly for air his lungs had struggled with moments before. "Cas?" Dean touched his face, hoping to get some recognition.

"I'm okay," Cas stumbled over the words, his mind barely catching up with him. "Just a little dizzy." He smiled dazedly, patting Dean on the arm with some reassurance. "Good timing, partner."

"Thanks," Dean chuckled, relief easing into his face like he was too scared to be happy for a few seconds. "What is this thing? What do we do?"

"It's a gigas, immune to magic and any weak attacks, it has a tough skin." Cas moved to sit up and, with Dean's help, stand again, "It can only be beaten by a strong physical assault, everything I do bounces right off so this one's all yours."

"Just me?" Dean gaped, too shocked to realize that Sam had come barreling his way.

"Dean!" Sam swung around him and forced him into a hug, fingers digging in just enough for his older brother to notice. "Good catch."

Dean smiled and squeezed his little brother back, he could feel Sam's body trembling, even just a little. Maybe he was hyper aware but he was certain it wasn't normal for Sam. "You're pretty shaken up, what happened?"

"Nothing." Sam shook his head and stepped away again, "I mean, nothing other than the gigas…"

"Sam…" Dean used that tone he always used to, the one with a gentle warning or demand.

"I feel so useless…" Sam explained quietly, glancing over at Cas for a moment, "There's nothing I can do…"

Dean knew he'd have to address this in full later on, it wasn't something Sam was just going to get over. "Sammy you're more valuable to the team than you think, don't be so down on yourself. There's more to all of this than running at giant monsters and taking them down, you know that."

"Yeah…" Sam sighed and tried to let it go. "I guess it's all just getting to me, I was almost stepped on back there."

Dean frowned a little, "Why would you get that close?"

"We popped up right where the gigas was about to put its foot down, I would've been flattened immediately but Jet…" Sam's mind refreshed itself of the moment, a familiar hold on him, the rush of wind and the horrible quaking of the earth beneath him. "Jet pulled me back just in time."

Dean turned to Jet who had just reached them, "Thank you, man."

"I said I would keep him safe, didn't I?" Jet smiled and shrugged, "But you're welcome."

"We'll finish this discussion later," Cas interrupted, his voice steady again. "Dean, you have to take it down. I'll get these two to a safer place, do whatever is necessary."

Dean nodded and looked back to the gigas as it got over the fact it couldn't see out of its right eye any longer. "Right, I'll do what I can." It was a lot of pressure but to keep his family safe he'd do just about anything.


	50. Childhood Sweetheart: Dean and Goliath

**Author's Note:**

**50 chapters people! Longest fic I've ever written in one shot without breaking it up XD Let's celebrate, tell me what you want to see or your favourite part so far :D**

* * *

**Childhood Sweetheart World: Part 3**

The power and strength of the second high priest was something to behold. Dean didn't know what to do but he let instinct guide his movement, if all he needed to do was be physical with the gigas then that's what he intended to do. Dean used momentum, he ran full tilt toward the thing's ankle, joints would always be a weaker point than just trying to slam it somewhere in the calf. He drew his weapon and immediately it formed into a metal knuckle-like shield over his hand, spikes protruding from it like something from a video game. Dean wound up, his legs used to the quaking below, his body angled to bring as much force as he could when he jumped and slammed into the gigas' ankle. His fist cracked through its outer layer, giant fissures running up its entire leg and some of the mountainous surfaces falling to the ground.

The gigas shrieked, a higher pitched sound piercing the air and almost making their ears bleed. The ground started to crack just like the monster, shaken and breaking under its weight as it stumbled and fell forward. It was a graceful, soundless fall, the enormous creature like the world's largest monument soared over the land below it as if it were meant to fly. But it the earth again, and when it did the ground around it caved and ruptured. The town was practically dislodged from its foundation and as all the carnage unfolded Castiel did what he could to get Sam and Jet to safety. But really, there were no safe places, nowhere to hide and nowhere to go.

Sam caught Castiel's hand as the ground opened right beneath his feet, the priest let out a strangled noise of terror for those few seconds that he free-fell. Sam grunted when Castiel's weight nearly pulled him down, but he could manage it. The world around them was falling apart and for those seconds that passed them, with Cas hanging above a deep and deadly chasm, none of them thought they'd make it out. Sam and Cas shared a look as the younger Winchester struggled to pull his friend up, "Jet help me!" Sam called but didn't get an immediate reply. "JET!" He demanded louder and looked around for the other member of their group but couldn't see him.

Castiel didn't wait much longer, his legs scrabbled forward and his hands grasped for another jutting piece of land to grab hold of. He hauled himself up, letting go of Sam's hand as he flung himself over the rest of the way, gasping and trying to get a grip on himself. "Fuck…" He breathed, sitting up and looking around for the lost one, "Jet?"

"Gimme a fucking second!" Jet shouted from above them, hanging off of a precipice, a giant pillar of rock had burst out of the ground, displaced when the gigas fell. He was a good 50 feet up, maybe 40 but they weren't really trying to calculate that.

"Just hold on, I'm coming." Cas called up to him and started to climb the side of the pillar.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Jet snapped again, his arms shaking and fingers feeling as stiff as the rock he held onto. His position wasn't particularly comfortable and was by far the worst feeling he'd had in the last few hours. He'd barely managed to catch hold of the rock jutting out of the ground in the split second it'd happened, but luckily for him he did, the chasm had opened up beneath his feet and would have swallowed him whole. Again, it wouldn't have been so bad if he were above solid ground, losing his grip and falling would hurt but at least it'd only be a few stories.

It was all about footing and balance, Castiel was strong, physically stronger than any other man aside from Dean. He could have pulled himself up sooner earlier but he didn't trust the situation, the ground was unstable and a single screw up would have both him and Sam plummeting into the pit below. He could also just knock the pillar down, but there were still too many other variables at play, the possibilities of the column falling into the gorge were too real.

Meanwhile Dean had run up the gigas' back while it was face down, recovering from its fall. He wound up again and smashed off different pieces of its outer shell, the armor it wore falling off and splintering like cheap wood. Dean could feel his veins pumping hard, his heart in his ears like thunder as the monster roared again. It screamed in pain while he basically took off its skin, reaching for the softer flesh underneath. Tearing the monster apart wasn't as hard as he'd imagined it'd be, but that wasn't where the problem was, the gigas reached back for him, trying desperately to get the tiny human off its back as if Dean were some termite or mosquito.

But that little bug was far stronger than the gigas could have planned for, Dean had reached the monster's neck and started to pound away at it. The outer layer was stronger there and Dean really had to hit hard. The ground wasn't just shaking because of the monster writhing on it anymore, each hit Dean brought down caused earthquakes of his own, tremors and fissures destroying the land around him. The town wouldn't recover, the people that had escaped would have to move or rebuild if they could, but he doubted it.

The gigas smacked down on the back of its neck where Dean had just broken through, he'd seen the giant shadow over head and knew that he'd have no time to dodge. Instead of defensive maneuvers he timed it, swinging up and punching the monster right in the hand. He felt the weight on his limbs, the force and the amount of pressure his body was under. Dean thought he'd be crushed, that those were the few brief seconds before his life ended in a bloody smear. But he was wrong, the monster's hand did come down all the way around him but it was literally around him. He'd broken a hole through its flesh and stood within the gigas' hand like a fucked splinter. He couldn't breathe, nothing about that position was comfortable and it made his heart race. The weapon on his hand shifted and burst out into a doubled edged sword, cutting through the gigas' flesh like nothing as Dean put as much strength behind his swings as he could. The monster reeled back like a wounded animal, swinging its hand around and slamming it into the ground frantically attempting to remove the priest from its palm.

All of the quakes that shook the area like it was Armageddon weren't helping the situation that Castiel and the others were in. Though Jet's grip wasn't the best he'd still managed to stay where he was, that didn't help when the pillar snapped apart though. Castiel had barely managed to reach him, a hand on the back of Jet's shirt when the stone he'd been clinging to cracked and broke off its original position. A loud and frightened yelp escaped both young men, Cas' out of fear for another's life and Jet's all for himself.

Sam watched from his spot on the ground, horrified and moving away from the open maw of the growing pit beside him. Castiel kicked off of the falling rocks, Jet's shirt still in hand and luckily Jet was still in it. They hurdled to the ground and hit it with a profound grunt from both of them. "Fuck, you guys get into such weird predicaments." Cas complained as he struggled to get to his feet, "You okay, Jet?"

"Fine, thanks." Jet groaned as he sat up, looking over at Sam's somewhat relieved expression. He gave a thumb's up and pulled himself to his feet. "Let's get the fuck out of here, that thing's going to make a new grand canyon out of this place."

The other two agreed without a word and they started to run, Cas kept an eye out for anything falling overhead but there wasn't much else he could do. Dean was doing a great job, it was just a colossal scale of destruction happening everywhere else.

Dean was dislodged on the fourth hand smash to the ground, he tumbled to the ground and lied there for several seconds. His eyes had to refocus and his lungs needed to be filled. The world was a big swirling mass of noise and tremors, he gasped for air and struggled to get back to his feet. The gigas was starting to try and stand again but the ankle that Dean had damaged snapped completely off, anything holding it together had broken apart and couldn't handle the weight being put on it. The monster fell again and this time it broke the earth's crust, cave-ins happening all over including where Dean and the monster were situated.

Castiel spun around when he heard it, the feeling and shockwave coming after. "DEAN!" He screamed before the force knocked him back like a useless rag doll.

Dean would have made a thousand references as he fell with the gigas but he was a little busy struggling to breathe in the gusts of wind that blew past him. It was getting hotter and hotter the further he fell, the gigas below him crashing into everything as it went, breaking through layers of earth until it finally slowed down. Crushed between denser layers of earth the monster thrashed around and flailed like any trapped beast might. Dean rolled midair and went for its head with his sword first. The momentum he carried with him would be more than enough to the damage he wanted and Dean knew that a headshot killed just about anything.

And while Dean knew he had the fight in the bag, hurdling straight for the gigas' face he couldn't help but scream at least one line. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

God did he feel awesome doing that.

His sword pierced the monster's skull like nothing and Dean blasted through the gigas in just the same way. Its insides burst into mush in Dean's wake, a gargled and mangled sound erupting from its ruined throat, the last one it ever made. Dean's descent slowed enough that he rolled again, angling so his feet were dragging along the sides of the narrowing chasm to completely stop himself. He could feel guts and blood oozing from every orifice of his clothes and dripping from his eyes, nose and even mouth.

Dean spat and sputtered, wiping at his eyes and trying to see again. He started climbing up around the gigas again, he needed a clear shot of the sky before he could do anything quicker. It was a long and somewhat agonizing trip, his limbs felt like Jell-o and his mind wanted to freak about what had just happened so badly. As soon as Dean saw a sky above him he formed his weapon into a grappling hook, not unlike one he may or may not have seen Batman use in a cartoon once or twice. He aimed it up and prayed it caught onto something solid. A few moments later he felt it go taught and tugged a few times. It was enough for him, Dean hit a button on the side and it started to reel him in. A slow and easy ascension back to the surface.

As soon as he reached the top a hand caught hold of his arm and he looked to see Sam's smiling face, relief, terror and so many other things still linger in his eyes. "Sammy, you're okay." Dean sighed and pulled his brother into a hug as soon as his feet were on solid ground. He glanced behind to see Castiel and Jet letting go of the grappling hook; it hadn't caught anything solid, just his family. "Thank you, guys." Dean breathed out the words and closed his eyes, Cas and Jet walked over and hugged their gory friend all the same.

"You smell awful." Sam muttered with a laugh and all Dean could do was laugh right along with him.

"So…" Jet stepped away and looked at the demolition site that stood where a town used to be, "What do we do? This place is a mess…"

"Nothing," Castiel shook his head and wiped some of the guts from his coat. "We did what we could for this world and though this town is in ruins the rest of the world is alright. All in all we did very well."

The others stared at the rubble, each cringing in their own way. "Uh… right Cas." Jet scratched the back of his head and looked at the priest with a half smirk, "What happened with the last gigas you fought?"

"I told you, I ran off."

"What happened to the world though?"

Castiel's expression darkened and he looked away, "It's gone. The Void has it now."

They fell silent for a few seconds but Dean wasn't about to let them stand there in uncomfortable silence, not after his epic win. "So note to selves, don't let the bad guys win." He grinned and leaned around to kiss Castiel's cheek. "Is there a magic way I can get cleaned up or something?"

"Go find broken pipe and stand in it." Cas chuckled and shoved him away, "We could all use a bit of a clean up though."

Sam ran his hands through his hair and dropped his arms tiredly, "I can't wait until we find another bed to sleep in…"

Cas snorted out a laugh and started toward the ruins, "Don't get your hopes up."


	51. Childhood Sweetheart: The Rift

**Author's Note:**

**I'm sorry for the late update, school starts on the 26th and I was running around getting stuff ready. I'm all set now so hopefully I have the time between full time school, homework, and 25 hours a week at work XD I'm sure I'll find a way to do this, I love writing after all.**

**Thank you to my readers, to my followers, and especially the ones who review. I read each one, on every story, I'm sorry that there's no way to really reply to you, if you feel like talking to me ever I'm cool with PM's :)**

* * *

**Childhood Sweetheart World: Part 4**

The water pipes in the town had been destroyed, busted open and luckily for the boys, a few were spouting the cleansing liquid straight out of the ground. Dean went right for one and let it power spray him all over, getting the guts and blood removed lickety-split. The high pressure almost lifted him off the ground, it was strong and to him it felt something like a massage. Of course, that didn't mean the others would be able to handle it, Dean figured it'd hurt at least a little.

Sam eyed the geyser suspiciously, unsure of whether or not he wanted even risk it. High-pressure water wasn't exactly a pleasant or refreshing thing. That didn't stop Jet though, he got a running start and jumped right through the spray as if it were a sprinkler. Just like the other one it was high pressure and Jet nearly wiped out but he managed to at least remain on his feet. Sam had to hold his breath for a second to keep his temper down, "I'm astounded at how reckless you are, especially after working so hard to keep us safe." It was evident in his voice and he made sure to emphasize the last part for Jet's sake. He'd gotten yelled at for being so reckless before and now Jet had no qualms about leaping through an untested spray of water.

Jet however just shrugged and smirked at him, "I've got monster guts on me," he ran his hand through the mop of wet hair stuck to his forehead and slicked it back, Sam had to remind himself he was somewhat annoyed and not lose his train of thought in Jet's movement. "Sorry if that bugs you."

Sam pursed his lips together but shook his head, "Fine, if you're okay with it then it's fine if I do." He clenched his jaw and ran to jump through the reversed waterfall, it felt weird and definitely threw off his balance. For a moment he thought he'd stumble and fall on his face but Jet was right there to help him out. Sam's heart thumped rapidly for a few seconds before he managed to calm it, "Thanks." He muttered and stepped back, moving his hair away from his face too. Jet was just grinning at him.

Dean stepped off his geyser as soon as he figured he was clean enough but he didn't get very far, Castiel shoved him back over it, "Not done yet, gory-boy."

He scoffed and moved away from it on the other side, "Well then I'll just do it the fun way." He smirked at Jet who gave a thumb's up before he bolted and hopped through the water like the other's had done. "C'mon Cas!"

Castiel raised an eyebrow at them, a little standoffish for a few seconds but that broke soon enough. A smile spread his lips and he darted forward to join the others, tackling Dean through the stream. Dean was sturdy as hell so he didn't fall over, that of course didn't mean he wasn't shocked and yelping in surprise.

There was a lot of fooling around that followed, they needed a moment to unwind after something as hair-raising as the gigas had been. None of them had felt that shaky and scared in a long while, Sam's hands were stilly trembling, Dean's legs felt like jell-o, Jet wasn't sure if his elated state of mind was based in the fact he thought he was going to die or not, and Castiel still hadn't quite managed to calm his nerves. It was relaxing, like they were all children again or getting back to the core feeling.

Cleaning was simple, a little rough and a bit painful at times but the boys were soggy and ready to go. Dean grinned at Castiel who only rolled his eyes and laughed in return. Dean's hair had been moldable so they'd spiked it into a sort of Mohawk shape and he'd left it that way, water still dribbling down his face from the last time he'd leapt through the geysers. Jet had started a trend and he had to say, it was pretty fun.

Cas however had grown a little less comfortable with the thought the longer they'd spent goofing off. It hadn't hit him until after they were done of course, but he still couldn't shake the needy, anxious feeling that pestered him. They didn't have time to play, spending unnecessary time in worlds wasn't going to finish their quest and it certainly wouldn't make anything easier in the end. The Void grew stronger with each passing moment, maybe it was marginable but it didn't alter that truth. The world they were in was a little shaken up but they didn't have the time to fix it or explain the citizens what hit them.

He opened the portal and they all stepped through without having to speak much, when Cas was done they had to go and that was that. Not one of them expected anything different than the usual sensation, the rush of air past them as they travelled to the mainline road. But nothing like that happened this time around, they didn't touch down on a single solid object and suddenly felt like they were weightless.

**The Rift**

"What the fuck is happening!?" Jet was the first to be vocal and Dean was right behind him.

"I don't know!"

"Real helpful man, but how 'bout next time maybe _have a freaking answer!_?" The sarcasm in Jet's temper tantrum made Dean chuckle despite the situation, it might've been because he legitimately found Jet's short temper funny or possibly because he'd just taken out the biggest living thing he'd ever seen. Dean wasn't really sure but it didn't change the fact that he was still snickering about it.

"Fuck." Castiel cursed a few times and snarled at the area around them, "It's a rift."

"Dean made a face and shrugged, "So what? We just make another portal."

"Doesn't work that way," Cas shot him a warning look for saying stupid things, "I've been in one before, you can't get out until you complete each task and action the rift asks of you. The celestials told me that it's very important to listen to it, if you fail to do as it asks it'll throw you into the Void."

"What does it ask?" Jet raised an eyebrow, having calmed down a bit since someone seemed to know what was going on. Not that Castiel's tone of voice was comforting but Jet still felt better about it.

"Anything and everything," Cas sighed and ran his hands through his hair tiredly, "It can go from 'kill your family' to 'tango' to 'masturbation' and everything in between."

Jet and Dean looked at one another then back to Castiel, "Let's hope for that last one." They both said without having to plan it or anything. Cas only rolled his eyes again, their commentary not needing much more than that from him.

"Hold on," Sam piped in, steadying himself by taking a hold of Dean. He didn't like the no gravity feeling, it was unsettling. "Where did it come from? Is it a Void creature?"

"It exists naturally in the same time and space as all of the worlds do." Castiel explained as he started to look around at the vast emptiness around them. It felt like they were somewhere but nowhere at the same time, the feeling wasn't something that could be described in words. Surrounded by innumerable things but nothing could be seen. "It's as neutral as they come, not part of the Void at all so the usual fighting tactics are out. The rift is more of a sentient world, we can't fight worlds we can fight the things inside them. What's bugging me is that it rare does anything at all, I've only been caught in one once in my times passing through dimensions and that was over a century ago."

"We must have stumbled across it, it catches things as they pass through portals, or I guess space and time in our case, right?" Dean shrugged, looking as though it wasn't that big of a deal. "Let's just do what it wants and be on our way, nothing to worry about."

"Except if it gives us an order to murder each other we'll have some difficulties." Sam frowned at his brother, not agreeing with the nonchalance of his mood.

The bickering would have continued but the sound of an unfamiliar voice broke their conversation. "Welcome," it was so gentle and calm, lacking ay form of tension or anxiety as well as any emotion. All four stopped in their tracks to listen, it wasn't hard to do really, they felt somewhat at ease hearing it. Cas was aware of the rift's ability to calm its inhabitants, it wasn't a bad thing, some of the tasks could be nerve-wracking.

Sam leaned over to Castiel, glancing down at the shorter male briefly before looking around to see if there really was something speaking or if the voice truly was coming from everywhere around them. "How many things are we going to have to do?" He whispered, his attention back to Cas now that he was sure the rift was a sentient world.

"As many as it wants," Cas replied softly.

"_Dean Marion Winchester, do a one handed hand stand."_ The rift spoke again and as it did a surface appeared beneath Dean's feet and gravity returned within his immediate space. He looked a bit disoriented with the switch from weightless to weighted but he recovered enough to stand straight.

Castiel meanwhile had snorted at the name, "Marion? Really?"

Dean's cheeks flushed red and he pursed his lips at his partner, "After my mom, Mary." He wasn't ever embarrassed by his mom's name but hearing Cas laugh at him for it was convincing enough to bring a warm colour to his face.

"Sorry, sorry," Cas smiled and shook his head before motioning to the floor. "Well get on with it, then."

"Sounds too easy," Dean frowned and looked down at his feet skeptically.

"That's because it is, just do it."

Dean obliged of course, flipping up onto one hand and holding it for several moments. It really was easy for him, especially compared to the balancing acts he had to pull while fighting the gigas. "Seriously, how long do I have to do this?" No sooner had the words left his mouth did he feel gravity leave him again, floating midair helplessly upside down.

As Dean flailed a little Jet grinned, he saw an opportunity and took it for himself. He took hold of Dean's leg and pushed it, making Dean spin around like a Ferris wheel at an amusement park. "AGH! Dude _not_ cool!" Dean shouted as the world around him flew by over and over again, "Seriously! Jet you little shit! Stop me! Quit laughin'!" He flailed some more but it ended soon enough, he was thankful to feel Sam's steadying hands on him and putting him right side up again. "Thanks Sammy."

"You're welcome." Sam smiled, his face a little strained from holding back laughter. Cas and Jet couldn't though, snickering and throwing their heads back because it was just too much to see Dean that ridiculous.

"_Samuel Jonathan Winchester, have a staring contest with the person nearest you."_

"Similar story with the middle name?" Cas raised an eyebrow as Dean nodded quickly, trying to avoid his gaze. "Sam got the better deal I think." He smiled at the grumpy expression the other priest shot him.

Dean couldn't help the grin tugging at his mouth though, despite all of his efforts to be upset. "Shut it." The warning came out broken and edged with laughter, all the more reason for the others to crack up with him. "Seriously though," he looked to Sam who still had a hand on his shoulder, "Looks like I'm closest."

Sam nodded and positioned himself across from Dean, both staring intently at the other. The rift never said a single thing about Sam having to _win_ the contest.

Cas and Jet stood by to watch, watch Sam's eyelids twitch as the burning sensation no doubt settled in. Watch as Dean's eyes bulged, fighting off the urge to just blink once. Sam bit his lower lip and dragged it between his teeth harmlessly, hoping to distract himself. Dean adjusted his stance and put on the 'big brother showdown' face, his lips almost pouting forward in that model way he always did. Jet nudged Castiel playfully and nodded toward them, "My money's on Dean."

"We're not betting on their contest." Cas frowned at him and looked forward again. "But… why Dean?"

"Dean never loses these things, kicks my ass every time."

Cas was quiet for a few seconds before he nodded firmly, "You're on."

Luckily for Castiel they didn't put any real money on it because moments later Sam had to blink, and the moment he did he threw his head back with a loud curse. "Son of a bitch! Every time!"

"Ah yeah, beat you!" Dean fist pumped once, as much of an older brother victory move as anything else.

"_Castiel Dimitri Alexander Winchester, whistle a tune."_

Dean wanted to comment on Cas' middle names too but he couldn't think of anything to say, it sounded cool, like his parents wanted a badass kid so they named him appropriately. He ran a hand through his hair mindlessly as Castiel puckered his lips and started to whistle. It wasn't a song Dean recognized right away but after a few seconds it hit him; Cas was whistling Metallica. And by the sound of it he'd chosen Some Kind of Monster. Dean hummed it to himself when he was scared or needed to calm down, most any kind of Metallica really but he preferred the empowering ones.

Castiel had opened an eye to look at him during the little song and Dean could have sworn both of their hearts beat in time, a little tinge of pink edged in Cas' cheeks and Dean could feel that familiar heat in his. Dean mouthed the words 'I love you' and it ended Castiel's song, his mouth unable to whistle anymore with a smile pulling at it. Sam and Jet weren't quite sure of what had transpired between the other two, and that just might've been what made it even sweeter.

"_Jethro Eli Tull, give a performance no shorter than three minutes."_

Since they all seemed to be on the page of listening to each other's middle names Sam really wanted to know Jet's. He wrinkled his nose and looked at Jet after hearing it, "I don't think I've ever heard your full name before."

"Not like Dean runs around calling me Jethro," Jet smirked at him and shrugged.

Sam's face scrunched even further the more he thought about it, "Your initials spell J. E. T."

"So?"

"Your initials spell _Jet_." Sam threw his arms up, "What the hell!?"

"My parents saw an opportunity and took it?"

Sam was in quiet disbelief at that fact as he listened to the slow disgruntled realization noises coming from Dean and Castiel.

"Dude!" Dean laughed, his smile big enough to push up the little wrinkles by his eyes, "How did I not notice this? I've been your friend for how long?"

Jet shrugged again before clapping his hands together, "How old are we again?" He grinned and jumped up and down a little, amping himself up. "Okie dokie let's get this show on the road. Minimum three-minute performance sounds like song and dance to me. Gimme something to work with rift, c'mon!"

Cas was about to tell him it didn't work that way but the tune to a song started to play around them, a solid surface appearing beneath Jet's feet like it had Dean's. Cas could feel the excitement in the space they were floating in, the rift hadn't dealt with friendly, high-energy people before and its emotions started to show. Cas hadn't even known the rift was capable of that kind of thing.

Dean and Sam knew Jet could freestyle with the best of them, he was pretty talented but it helped that his self-esteem was unchallengeable. The second the music filtered through Jet was moving, Sam recognized it as something he'd heard Jet listening to a long time back already; Do It Like This by the Black Eyed Peas. Dean and Jet didn't have the same taste in music by far, Jet really enjoyed the upbeat stuff, and it really did suit him sometimes. Of course that didn't limit him to one genre but whenever he would dance it'd be to something more like that, something he could really enjoy and express something playful.

Not only could he move like he'd practiced a dance routine for it, Jet could also sing each lyric perfectly. His facial expressions matched the words, the feeling of his performance and body language. Sam had danced with him once before and had seen Jet do it, but he'd never paid attention like he was right then, with that strange tingling in his body and warmth pooling in his belly. Jet could really move, he was flexible and fluid, Sam had a hard time keep his eyes away from how easy Jet made it look. Sam and Dean had been to dancing classes but they didn't exactly dance like that. It was ballroom, it was tango, some ballet, but not a whole lot of hip-hop or break-dancing or whatever Jet would call what he was doing.

Five and a half minutes later Jet stopped, his torso moving almost like a wave as he breathed, panting and trying to keep it to himself. "Thanks rift, you rock." He called to the open space, not expecting anything in return but the darkness they were accustomed to flickered with excitable lights.

"_Never have I seen a group like you. I will let you out after this simple request; Samuel is to share a kiss with Jethro, and Castiel is to share a kiss with Dean."_

Dean and Cas looked at one another, they'd been close, they were close, they loved each other and they knew it. A kiss wasn't anything crazy, a kiss was something they'd both enjoy doing and it just felt fitting. Cas went to his partner's side and wrapped his arms around Dean's shoulders, their foreheads coming together so they could gaze into each other's eyes for a few seconds. "Last time I had struggled with the rift," Cas whispered with a soft giggle, "You three are amazing."

Dean smiled and put his arms around Cas' waist, tucking him in closer until their bodies were flushed. "The only thing I can say to that is you'd better not let us go."

"Never." Cas tilted his head and locked lips with Dean, both closed their eyes and sunk into it, the warmth and depth as they came together. Cas sighed and leaned on Dean, loving the embrace and the feeling of his partner right there with him. They finally let it go and put their foreheads together again. "I love you, Dean."

"I love you too." Dean ran his hand through Castiel's hair a few times, he glanced over at Sam and Jet a little worriedly. Sam had had trouble back in that one world, struggling with feelings and emotions surrounding Jet, Dean really hoped that wouldn't wind up sending them into the Void.

Jet would have been lying if he'd ever said he wasn't worried about the same thing, he tried to get his breathing more under control as he looked over at the younger Winchester; Sam was the one who was supposed to initiate judging by the rift's wording.

And while they all expected Sam to struggle with doing it, Sam was standing there more concerned with the thought that he might look too excited to kiss Jet. After that performance? Sam was willing to stick his tongue down Jet's throat, the question was more so how should he kiss and not if he was going to. He moved to Jet's side, curling his lips in and pressing them together consciously. He could see Jet's neck was tense, his chest moving slower though still strained, brown eyes fixed on Sam's face as if he were about to get the answer to a life or death question.

Sam reached and grabbed the back of Jet's head, forcing him forward and connecting their mouths in the first real kiss they'd share. Sam could feel Jet's subtle gasp, the shocked hesitation before reciprocating the kiss. But when Jet did return it he deepened it, saturated it, and made it mean more than Sam could explain. Sam's hand slipped from Jet's hair to cradle the base of his neck, feeling the irregular heartbeat only reminded him of the anima, of the scenes he'd witnessed and the way the sound of Jet's heart grew louder each time Sam made an appearance.

'_It's staring you in the face, Sam. It's always been there.'_ His mind told him as he realized they hadn't stepped away from each other, they hadn't stopped kissing and their mouths continued to move together even though Dean and Castiel were excitedly trying to keep themselves from interrupting, and Sam couldn't bring himself to think past the movement and the touch. Jet's hands were on him, those strong arms around him again, he didn't want to think of anything else.

Of course it couldn't stay that way, as much as his heart and body were aching for it. Sam broke it off, he knew that if he didn't Jet wouldn't, he could feel it in the subtle desperation, hear it in the softest little gasps Jet tried to stifle. He was about to speak but the rift started to shift and move around them. Sam didn't want to be worried but it wasn't normal, or at least he didn't think so.

"When the rift let's us go it puts us into another world." Castiel explained as the environment started to spazz out. "Don't worry, it'll be like going through a portal from the mainline."

Cas was the only calm one, however. The rift fell away from them very suddenly and the feeling of vertigo was enough to make them almost sick. It was very jarring and for Sam kind of upsetting, he hadn't quite wanted to let go of Jet yet but the moment the portal kicked in Jet was gone. Just like when they had all held hands way back in the first worlds, it didn't matter. He sighed and closed his eyes, waiting to see where he'd end up next and what kind of creature he'd possibly run into.


End file.
